Everything In Between
by elewho
Summary: We know so much of the explosive chemistry between Alex and Piper in prison. But we know so little of their chemistry before it all happened. This is my attempt in filling in...everything in between. Might go into the prison Vauseman as well, but that's TBD.
1. Chapter 1: Watch This

"Hey, you. Laura Ingalls Wilder."

Her beer in hand, Alex watched as the blonde spun around with a curious expression. It was then she noticed the paper in her hand and chuckled to herself. Who would want to work in this dump? she mused. She smiled knowingly as the wandering eyes finally landed on her.

Alex gestured with her beer, "We're escaping America before the apocalypse, wanna come?"

"S-sorry?"

Alex didn't get an answer as the bartender asked what she wanted. She chuckled as the woman swiftly turned, flimsy and flustered. She admired the long, blonde locks that cascaded down her back like a golden waterfall. She noted her choice of attire; not ordinary, she decided, but not overly drastic. Shifting her attention back to her friends, she kept an open ear towards the bar.

"Are we really moving to Berlin?"

"I have literally no money in my bank account. So, I'm not."

Alex laughed, "How about Timbuktu instead?"

"Perfect."

 _"...just gona end up in a drawer somewhere...so."_

Alex leaned closer towards her friends, "Watch this," she whispered.

 _"...Can I have a margarita then?"_

The bartender nodded with a smile, "That I can do for you."

Alex winked at her friends and slid out of the chair. She kept her laughter in as catcalls sounded behind her and kept her eye on the woman, who now sat looking deflated. She walked up to her, her beer still in hand, and plastered a sly smile.

"It's a little cold out for a margarita, don't you think?" She didn't wait for an answer as she picked up the paper on the counter. "Let's see this."

She nailed her assumption of a college graduate looking for her first job, she thought. And by the looks of it, she had absolutely no idea what she was doing.

"Steve's Greek Cuisine? Le Grand Fromage? Bullshit, bullshit," she grinned. "You need a lesson in fudging a resume."

"Do you work here?"

Alex nearly took that as an insult, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

She continued to read, "Manager, Polly Harper."

She looked up with a look of comical disbelief, "Nobody named Polly Harper gets put in charge. Who is that really?"

It was the first time Alex saw the blonde smile. She was a beauty.

"She's my friend," she explained, giggling.

Alex laughed with her, "You've never waited a fucking table in your life, have you?"

The grin dimmed as she shook her head, "No."

Alex smiled with ease as she turned her attention back to the paper. "So. Piper Chapman. 'A Smith graduate with excellent listening skills, passionate about making diners feel good'. Hm, that sounds kinda dirty."

The bartender came back with the drink. Alex looked up at him, "You can put that on my tab."

She continued to read, "'Safe, clean and careful when handling food and drink.'" She laughed heartily when Piper snatched the paper from her hands.

She grinned, "I like that in a woman."

She also liked the blue eyes that spoke of untapped adventure. The innocence was there, she thought. But there was something about her she couldn't quite grasp.

"What else do I need to know about you?" Alex asked.

Piper narrowed her eyes, "Who are you?"

She smiled, "My name is Alex."

"And what _do_ you do, Alex? Besides make fun of strangers in bars." Piper was already guessing in her head; Accountant? Librarian? She had a sophisticated vibe, she thought. Maybe—

"I work for an international drug cartel."

Piper paused, her smile fading fast. Her thoughts scrambled to find anything that might contradict her claim. Porcelain skin, black hair, sexy green eyes, rose tattoo. Dressed to impress. Nothing screamed drugs. But then again, she thought, if you do work for a drug ring, you shouldn't be looking the part.

Alex watched gleefully as Piper's face contorted into an expression of disbelief. It was always the same reaction—surprise, doubt then the barrage of questions that flashes through their face. Over the years she learned to take that as a compliment. She was damn well good at her job, and not looking like some old drug pusher was an immense boost to her ego. When Piper didn't say anything, she laughed.

Relieved, Piper laughed with her, and noted the huskiness in the woman's voice. She found it...alluring. To the point where she wanted to hear it again and again...and again. Feeling her cheeks heat up, she took her glass of margarita and sipped cautiously.

Alex took a sip from her own bottle, "So do I have to pour a tub of margaritas into you before I get you in my bed?"

Piper choked on her margarita, eliciting another laugh from the raven-haired beauty. She vaguely heard a chorus of laughter coming from behind Alex, but couldn't concentrate properly enough to confirm. Coughing, she tried to maintain her composure. "W-what?" she stammered.

Alex hid her smile as she tipped back the bottle, studying Piper above the rim. Very cute, she thought, very tempting.

"Let's try this. What's a woman like you looking for work here?"

Shifting in her seat, she answered, "Well, I needed work. And no business wants to hire someone who double majored in communications and comparative literature, so."

Alex raised her eyebrows, "Wow. I pegged you for a college graduate, but I didn't peg you for an over-achiever."

Piper sipped her margarita, "Not that it did me any good. And it was more of a family 'make-me-proud-honey' thing. My mother always wanted me above everyone else. And I'm a WASP. So I guess that adds to the whole picture."

Alex nodded in understanding, "Did you want it, though?"

"No," she responded immediately, "No, I wanted to jump off planes and be a best selling author and travel."

"Why didn't you?"

Piper shrugged, "Had to keep up the 'Perfect Piper' image. They gave me everything I ever wanted...so I suppose I feel like I owe them."

Scoffing, Alex waved a hand dismissively, "Bullshit. You don't owe them anything, Piper. It was their responsibility to provide and develop your life. Now it's your responsibility to live it."

"I don't want to disappoint them."

"Self-disappointment is much worse," Alex countered.

Piper smiled brightly, "Do you always give wise advice to hopeless, lifeless graduates?"

"No," Alex said. "This would be the first."

"And what makes me different?"

"I'll let you know when I know."

Piper's eyes softened. She had never been hit on by a lesbian before. She never even thought of being a possible apple in a woman's eye. Feeling bold, she let her eyes roam Alex's body, up and down then up again. She lingered on her lips, before looking up in her eyes again.

Alex noticed the shift in Piper's demeanour. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just..." she trailed off, doubt tainting her confidence.

"What?" Alex insisted.

"You're a lesbian, right?" Piper's hand flew to her mouth, aghast that the question slipped out against her will.

To her surprise, Alex threw her head back and laughed. Piper reddened and took a big gulp of the margarita.

Still laughing, Alex patted Piper's hand, "Yes, I am." Teasing her, Alex asked, "Are you?"

Piper stammered, "Well, I-I never thought-I never really imagined but-"

Completely used to the stuttering, Alex interrupted, "On the fence, maybe?"

Piper sighed in relief, "Yeah. Yeah, kind of. I don't really know."

Alex tipped her bottle towards her in acknowledgement, "Got it."

Feeling mischievous and ridiculously turned on, she opened her mouth to suggest they go to a hotel when she remembered what—or rather, who—waited for her back home.

Shit, she thought frantically. I actually forgot I had a girlfriend.

Piper noticed the sudden stiffness, "Everything okay?"

Alex kept her smile in place as she thought of ways to leave without being too crass, "Yeah," she said. "I just remembered I have a shitload of work to do."

"For your 'international drug cartel'?"

Alex tilted her head, "Was that in between quotes?"

"Maybe."

Alex chuckled, "I wasn't joking."

She laughed again when realisation dawned on Piper's face. She pushed off the counter and walked back to her friends, grabbing her handbag that dangled from her chair. "I'll see you guys later."

"Did you get her?"

Alex shook her head, smiling. "No, not quite—," she paused as a lightbulb lit up. "Hey, do you guys have a pen?"

One of the girls searched through her bag, fished out a pen and handed it over, "What for?"

Alex didn't answer as she grabbed a tissue and scribbled down her phone number. "Thanks. See you."

She walked back to Piper, who watched her with a gleam of curiosity in her eyes. Alex's smile remained as she paid off her tab, casually leaving the tissue near Piper's drink. She was interesting, she thought, and she never left anything untapped. Drug mule or friend, she's definitely keeping this woman in close contact. Ignoring the berating voice in her head, she winked seductively at the blonde.

"See you around, Piper Chapman."

Piper's mouth hung open as she watched Alex hail a cab. She watched as her black hair danced in the night breeze. She was a picture, she thought, as the abstract colours of the city surrounded her, highlighting her dark and ominous demeanour. Shaking her head, she turned around, absentmindedly nursing her margarita. It was then she noticed the tissue by her drink had writing on it. She picked it up, turned the paper and saw a phone number. Alex's phone number, she thought excitedly.

She quickly shoved the piece of paper in her bra, feeling the heat of embarrassment rise up and tinting her cheeks crimson.

Alex, she mused, _what_ a woman.


	2. Chapter 2: I Can Jump Off A Cliff

That's $30,500 this month, she calculated. If she could just sell the rest by next week, she could bump that figure up by at least 10 grand. She just needed the muscle.

Alex was making amendments on her spreadsheets when her personal phone rang. Rolling her neck, she pushed away from the table and stood to walk to the dresser. She usually doesn't let calls from her personal phone disturb her work, but she needed the break.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and winced. She looked like she just escaped from the psychotic ward through the sewers. Lifting her arm, she sniffed herself. She didn't smell of rat and human shit, she mused, but still bad.

The ringing continued, and without looking at the screen, she answered. "Hello?"

"Hey. It's me."

Alex frowned and looked at the screen. She didn't have the number in her contacts. "Yeah?"

"Sorry. Is this a bad time? I could call later. Or text. Whatever works."

 _Piper_. When Alex finally recognised the voice, she grinned. It's been a few days since their encounter at the bar. She even began to wonder if the blonde saw the tissue. "Piper! Piper Chapman. Hey. Sorry, I had no idea who you were. I forgot we didn't exactly exchange phone numbers."

"Yes. You nonchalantly slid a tissue next to my drink. Then I had to muster up the courage to call you."

"'Muster up the courage'? Was I daunting to call?" she asked huskily as she sat on the bed, her arms stretched out back for support.

Piper responded without pausing, "Yes."

Alex laughed, "I'm glad you did. You gave me a reason to step away from the laptop. I think I was getting a computer tan."

Piper laughed melodiously in her ear, "Were you working?" she said.

"Yeah, just had to punch in numbers and figure out sales. Nothing I can't do later."

Piper's voice held a twinge of worry, "You mean...the drug ring?"

Alex smirked, "I wasn't joking when I said I worked for a drug cartel."

"I know. I mean, you told me. It just throws me off a bit. I've never met anyone like you before."

"Maybe you have, but they're not as straightforward as I was," Alex said.

"Well, there was a guy with a really thin beard in college..."

Alex chuckled as she absently played with the bedsheets, "Always watch out for those. They're probably the middleman that waits for scraps."

"What do you mean?"

Alex explained, "Well. When a deal goes down, there's usually someone that watches over the exchange. The middleman. After everything is confirmed the middleman gets a small percent of the money for taking 5 prissy minutes of his time to watch. He's essentially a tax collector."

Piper made an amused sound of acknowledgment, "How is drug dealing even illegal?"

Alex grinned, "Right?"

"How did you get started on it?"

Alex mulled over the question. She never really talked about how she started as a drug importer, but there was something about Piper that made her feel trustworthy. Maybe a little too much. "Well, there was a guy—"

The sound of keys rattling alerted Alex. Shit, she thought frantically. _Shit_.

"Um. Hey, Piper?" She could already hear the locks turning as she bolted upright. "Do you mind if I call you later? Something came up. Actually, better yet. I'll text you and we can meet up tomorrow for a drink."

"Actually, I-"

"Whenever you can," she insisted. "See you later." She hung up as soon as a familiar figure walked into the bedroom.

"Hey, Sylvie."

"Hey, baby." An absent kiss was exchanged. "How was work?"

Alex exaggerated her groan, "More stressful than usual."

Sylvie sat next to her, rubbing the latter's back in comforting circles. "Want to take a walk? We can go to that coffee shop you really like."

She would love nothing more than to get back to work, Alex thought. "Actually," she said out loud, "I'll just finish off here. I'm nearly done anyway. I just took a breather. Maybe we can go out later tonight, okay?"

Sylvie kept her eyes on her girlfriend as she stood. She walked back to her desk, her lanky figure covering the distance in two strides. She sat down and immediately delved into her spreadsheet of illegal money.

"Who were you talking to?"

Alex's fingers faltered on the keyboard. She turned her head, feigning disinterest, "Huh?"

"When I walked in. You were on the phone with someone?"

"Oh. Yeah. It was Fahri," Alex let the lie roll smoothly out of her mouth, "He wanted to check in on me. We haven't talked to each other for a while. He misses me," she chuckled.

Alex breathed a small sigh of relief as her girlfriend laughed with her, "He's a cutie," Sylvie commented.

"Sure is," Alex said as she turned back to her computer.

Except she wasn't thinking of Fahri.

* * *

Piper clipped her hair into a messy bun as she readied herself for bed. She always liked the process of bedtime. Turning in for the night, preparing herself for another day. There was something comforting about the method, the consistency of a routine. It was like shedding her skin for a new one.

Cocoon by night, butterfly by day.

She hummed contently to herself as she slid into bed and turned on the TV. Settling into the pillows, she dragged her blanket to her chin and switched to her personal selection of movies. Feeling romantic, she chose _How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days._ She was barely halfway through the first scene before her phone vibrated on her bedside table.

She reached over and glanced at the phone. Her heart did a quick somersault as she saw the recipient and quickly opened it.

 _Alex: Hey, sorry for earlier. Can I make it up to you tomorrow at Qrow's?_

Piper smiled to herself, despite being unable to take the offer.

 _Piper: Sorry, I have a party to go to with Polly tomorrow night._

 _Alex: Ah the manager of fairies._

 _Piper: Fairies?_

 _Alex: Her name makes me think of fairies. Polly Molly. Polly from Neverland. Polly Jolly._

 _Piper: I shouldn't be laughing_

 _Alex: Why not? You know it's true._

Piper shook her head in amusement.

 _Alex: So when can I see you?_

Piper desperately flipped through her mental calendar and found a vacancy this weekend.

 _Piper: Saturday night? Qrow's?_

 _Alex: Fine by me. See you soon_

 _Piper: :) See you._

* * *

Piper watched Alex's eyes as they simultaneously knocked back the first shot. She felt the tequila hit her tongue, her throat, and suffered its quick hot, slide to the stomach.

She was, by no means, a drinker. She had no idea why she even said yes to drinking tequila. Actually, she corrected herself as she picked up the next glass, she does. She glanced over the raven-haired beauty next to her.

Alex bopped her head to the music— if you could even call it that. The overamplified screech of the electric guitar, the out-of-beat _boom_ of the drums and the wailing singer made for an uncomfortable sound to the ear. Those at the dance floor were too busy hurling insults at the band to realise one of them was actually tone deaf.

The only reasonable thing to do, as Alex saw it, was to get drunk as quickly as possible.

"How're you going, Pipes?"

In response, the blonde clinked their glasses together before downing their fourth shot for the night.

"I didn't think you were a heavy drinker!" Alex shouted over the club noise.

"I wasn't! I'm not!"

Alex threw her head back and let out a wicked laugh. Picking up the fifth glass, she licked salt off the back of her hand and drank hers down with the same careless gusto as the first four.

"Do you know what I absolutely adore about tequila?" Piper, her head already floating above the heavens, asked.

Alex set her arm down, supported her head with her hand as she watched the blonde woman. "What do you absolutely adore about tequila?"

"The burn. Man, do you have any idea how liberating it is? Like," Piper grinned widely, "I can jump off a cliff right now."

"I don't think—"

"No, no. See," Piper struggled to maintain a coherent string of thought, closing her eyes for a moment. "Technically, you can jump off a building when you're drunk. You may not survive, but technically your body may be fluid enough to survive the fall. Your muscles are like rubber because of all the alcohol, you know? So if you fall, and your body's rubbery enough, you can live. Technically. In theory."

Struggling with laughter, Alex pushed a sixth glass over, "Let's keep that theoretical, okay? Here you go. Bottoms up."

The music was beginning to sound good and colours were starting to blend together. Alex took that as a sure sign to initiate slow mode. And, she thought, Piper looked like she needed the cool down. Her eyes had gone glassy on shot number 5, and now her cheeks took on a sickly tint of green and blue. Her eyes widened as Piper suddenly waved her hands in blissful unawareness and smacked the guy on the other side of her.

"Shit! I'm sorry. God. I'm so sorry." Piper coddled the man, who was too drunk to even have felt the impact. All he knew was he suddenly had a sexy lady draping over him like a luxurious piece of clothing. And she smelt like peaches.

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Piper tried to bring his face into focus, sticking her face close to his. She was completely oblivious to his creeping hands as they tried to circle her hips.

Alex, on the other hand, was fully aware of the manoeuvre and stepped in, grabbing the man's wrist. "Get your dirty, old paws off her, asshole."

Piper turned around, a scold on the tip of her tongue before a wave of nausea heaved her forward, into Alex's arms.

Alarmed, Alex locked her arms around Piper's waist and smoothly switched their positions, turning her back to the man as she assessed the blonde. "Hey," she said. "Hey, you okay?"

Piper moaned as Alex cupped her face with both hands. She turned her head towards the warm palm and gave it a light kiss. Her eyelids getting heavier by the second, she fought to keep her eyes on the green ones in front of her. "You," she murmured, "are hot."

Alex smiled, " _You_ are way over your head. How 'bout we call it a night and get you home?"

The man behind her slid out of his stool and towered over the two women. His grin boasted yellow teeth and awful breath, his face contorting into one of greedy lust. "I'll get you a home," he slurred. "I'll get all of us a home."

Alex threw a disgusted look at the bastard as she secured an arm around Piper, fishing for bills in her bag. She slapped two one hundred dollar bills on the counter as the bartender headed her way. "Keep the change," she said.

Half limping with the added weight of a hammered woman and her own head starting to float, Alex made her way outside. The night air cooled her cheeks as she fought to keep Piper upright. If she had known the woman was a lousy drunk, she wouldn't have challenged her with alcohol. More less tequila.

"Was that guy okay?" she blathered. "I-I really think we should go back and make sure he's okay, Alex. I punched him right in his babymakers. Maybe he needs them or something. Maybe he's got a wife or–"

Alex fought to keep both of them steady as she hailed a cab. "Pipes, you smacked his face, not his balls."

"Really? I thought I punched something soft."

"That would be his baby cheeks, honey. Not his balls."

"Wow," Piper laughed to herself, finding immense humour that she mistook his cheeks for balls.

After a stream of curses towards cab drivers, one finally rolled over. The driver got out of his cab and rushed over to the two women.

"You guys doing okay?" he asked.

"Never better!" Piper sang. "Do you want a drink? I can pay–"

Alex interrupted, flashing a grateful smile towards the driver as he helped them inside the cab, "We're getting you home, Pipes."

It dawned on her that she didn't know where Piper lived. Smacking her palm to her forehead, she tried to think of a plan. Sylvie wasn't home, she thought suddenly.

"Where to, m'am?"

Alex rattled off her home address and leaned back, hooking her arm around Piper's shoulders. Sated, the blonde dropped her head on her shoulder and snuggled close. She could feel her breath on her neck, which smelled of lemon and alcohol.

"Where're we going?" Piper murmured.

"My place."

"Uh-uh," she grinned. "Gota buy me a drink first. Oh. Wait. Never mind. Okay, let's go to your place."

Alex's sultry laugh sent a shiver straight down her back. Piper turned her head, leaned closer and puckered her lips, kissing the side of the brunette's neck. She felt a movement, and realised Alex's hands were smoothly making their way up her legs and into the triangle between her thighs. In response, she widened the gap.

Alex's heart tumbled over as she recognised the invitation. She let her fingers trail upwards, then paused just before her fingers made contact with her sex. She gave herself a pat on the back for stopping, when what she really wanted was to dive in head—and fingers—first. She made lazy circles with her thumb as she turned her head to capture the blonde's lips with hers.

The first word that came to mind was: sweet. Her lips hinted of peaches and mangoes. She wanted more; a lot more. She pressed the tip of her tongue on Piper's lips. Her heart tumbled again when she opened, accepting the invitation. She tasted the sharp tang of tequila on her tongue, an alluring contrast to the taste of ripe fruit that seemed to cling to her being.

Cupping Piper's breast, Alex felt her heart gallop; a fast, hard movement that matched her own. She tore her mouth away from her lips and latched on to her neck. Breathing in, she found the source of sweetness and wished she could stay there forever.

Piper dragged Alex's head away from her neck and nipped her bottom lip. She wanted her. The woman with a deep laugh and a natural smirk on her lips. The woman with porcelain skin framed by a mane of black, flowing hair. She caught her lips again, moaning in desire. If only–

"Hey. I'm not against gays or nothing, but do you mind canning it for a while? I don't want any lady juices staining my seats."

The duo jerked apart as the driver's voiced piped up from the front. Piper nearly whimpered as Alex withdrew her fingers, immediately missing the contact. Their heavy breathing in sync, the pair tried to straighten themselves out.

Alex was the first to recover. "Would you rather manly juices?" she retorted.

She and the driver locked eyes on the rearview mirror. She raised her eyebrows when he responded, "Yes m'am, I do."

Well, shit, she thought as Piper stifled her giggle against her shoulder. She just got stumped.


	3. Chapter 3: This Is So Fucked Up

"Wait. So you...undressed me?"

Alex forked in a piece of her waffle, "Yeah. It's all good. I've done it before."

Piper cradled her head as she fought to clear it. She slumped over the wooden dinner table. "Undressed me before?"

"What?" Alex snickered. "No, you idiot. I've undressed women before. And they never complained, so don't be the first."

Piper pillowed her hammering head on her folded arms. She felt like someone was squeezing her skull with a clamp and wasn't going to stop until it busted open in a fountain of blood and tiny pieces of brain muscles. "If you ever see me pick up a glass of alcohol, shoot me. It'd be mercy."

Alex chuckled, pity and laughter warring inside her. She had a dull, gnawing ache at the back of her head, but all things considered, she was feeling fine. "I've read detoxifying massive amounts of tequila could take days. Weeks even."

She grinned as Piper whipped her head to throw her a death glare, then chuckled softly as the blonde winced at the sudden movement. "Perfect," she muttered. "Just what I wanted to hear."

Alex grinned, "That's why I told you. Here. This might help."

She stood and walked towards the window. Throwing a mischievous look behind her and thwarting any speck of guilt, she whipped open the curtains. Blinding sunlight scorched through the window, as if someone had just turned on their flamethrower and aimed it right into the dining room. Alex stepped to the side, allowing the searing blaze of the morning sun reach the currently cowering woman on her table. She might as well have dug Piper's grave and written her epitaph.

"Shit!" Piper screamed as she felt her headache increase tenfold. The clamp got even tighter, and she was sure there would be dent marks in her cranium. "Alex! Turn that off! Shit, shut it off! Do something. I'm burning. I can't see. You murdered me."

"It's a beautiful day outside, don't you think?"

"I've permanently lost my vision," Piper announced. "Fuck you, Alex.

Laughing, Alex deliberately left the window open and leaned her hip against the kitchen counter. "You are the definition of a lightweight, kid. I'm—"

" _Fuck_ you, Alex."

Alex lifted her eyebrows, surprised at the sincere venom in her tone. "Wow. I was going to say I'm sorry I put you through that. Now I'm not sure if I am."

Piper flipped up the bird and snarled, "This is entirely your fault. You wanted me drunk so you could get in my pants. In your bed."

Alex swept her hand in a wide gesture, "Does it look like we're in my bed? And does it look like I need alcohol to get women in my bed?"

She smouldered. Alex never met anyone that actually smouldered. God, it was sexy.

Her face set in rigid tones, Piper slowly turned her head and peaked at the brunette with one eye. "Was it weird?" she murmured.

Alex frowned, "What?"

"Was undressing me weird?"

"Jesus," Alex huffed. This woman was a roller coaster. "No, princess, I politely averted my eyes as I took your dress off. You can rest easy."

"Did you wish you didn't?"

"Didn't take your dress off?"

"No. Did you wish you didn't turn away?"

Alex set her jaw and mulled over her response, "Yes," she said.

With her eyes closed, Piper straightened, stood and walked towards the window. She felt like a man braving a Saharan desert storm, enduring all manners of hell on earth. Blindly, she managed to grab the curtain and yanked it shut. Turning back around, she slowly faced Alex and gave her the sultriest look she could muster in her current condition. She felt stupid and totally unsexy in her oversized T-shirt and fluffy pants, but the look on the brunette's face made it worth the while.

"What are you doing?" Alex murmured as Piper began to slowly saunter towards her. Her heart hammered in her chest. Her mind was screaming _Alert! Alert!_ but the reason was clouded by a grey, thick fog. It was like her limbs had a mind of their own. She couldn't stop her hands from reaching towards the blonde, furrowed her brows as she felt her arms tighten possessively around her waist.

Piper gave a small smile as she looked at Alex from under her lashes. Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips. She smiled as she felt the brunette's arms tighten around her body. If she had been more sober, she would've noticed the slight hesitation in the movement.

She whispered her response. Softly. Dangerously. "What's it look like?"

Alex jerked her forward and up to her toes. The sound Piper made reverberated through her entire body. She plundered her mouth and used her teeth; one impatient nip that had the blonde's lips parting in surprise. Their tongues found each other, and the taste of Piper sizzled along her senses like a wire in the blood. Hot breaths mingled, tongues warred, moans were exchanged. The dance for dominance was exhilarating, and neither were keen on backing down anytime soon.

Alex tangled her hands in the wild glory of golden hair, tugging so Piper's head dipped back. She explored the new angle, moved her hand down to grab her ass, pulling her even closer.

"Alex," Piper gasped, her voice thick with need. "Bed. Please."

Clothes were tossed all over the hallway as they spun towards the bedroom. Piper had a moment to look around her as they made their way to the bed. With the blinds closed and the curtains drawn together, little light entered the room. Brick wall. Lots of books. She noticed her clothes from yesterday piled neatly on a red scoop chair by a cabinet near the door. The room smelled like lavender, the pleasant scent lazily wafting to her nose. She glanced at the grand masterpiece; a four post bed and the big headboard. She could already imagine herself lying in it as she was brutally taken to high heavens.

Then she couldn't imagine anything else as Alex's lips captured hers in a violent embrace. She gasped, tugging the brunette's shirt up and over her head. She was reaching for the zipper in Alex's pants when her hands were stopped and held together.

Alex gave her a sultry smile as she fought to slow down the pace. She wanted to see her–all of her. Slowly, she drew away and walked towards her bedside table, turning on the lamp. She noted that Piper didn't flinch at the sudden light, figuring the promise of sex obliterated any lingering effects of tequila overload. When she had both lamps on either side of the bed turned on, she walked back to the waiting blonde.

Piper smiled uneasily as she watched Alex. This was happening, she thought. She'll be having sex with a woman she barely knew. One side of her, the proper and WASPy side, was aghast and disgusted; but the other side, the one who longed for stupidity and adventure, bathed in the feeling of desire and lust.

Her lips tugged up in a smile as Alex kissed her again. So soft, she noted. So beautiful.

Then Alex threw her onto the bed like a rag doll, and ravished her until her mind went blank.

* * *

For what seemed like the fifth time in the day, Alex's head emerged from under the blankets. She wiped her wet lips on her arm, fought to hide a boastful grin as she watched Piper float down from her high. "Horrible, wasn't it?"

Piper sighed, her stomach in knots as she chalked up another one of the best orgasms she ever had. "The worst," she said.

Both women chuckled as their lips met again, a soft exchange. Piper tangled her fingers into Alex's hair as the kiss lingered, "You're really bad at that," she continued before kissing her again.

Alex smiled and let her head hang, just a little. God help her, she wanted more. She wanted more of this hot blonde. The taste of ripe peaches lingered on her tongue, and she wanted gulp after gulp of her deliciousness. She would've bet money that she essentially licked away the hangover.

Piper gently lifted the brunette's head up, "Can I do you?" she asked meekly.

Alex looked up, clear surprise shown on her face. Throughout the day, it had always been her going down the bed. Now...she slowly grinned and cocked her head, "You don't have to ask."

They kissed again. Alex brushed back her hair from her face, tucking them behind her ear. Her mind was already exploring different ways she could reach the impending ecstasy of an orgasm. How Piper's tongue would feel on her. How–

"I've never...really..." Piper trailed off, feeling the haze of lust slowly fade away.

Alex's eyebrows shot up as she shifted down to Piper's side. Piper kept her eyes on Alex as she moved with her.

"Gone down on a woman before?" Alex asked incredulously.

Defiance speared through the embarrassment, "I mean..."

Then she deflated, "No."

Alex chuckled and let her hand disappear underneath the blankets again, "What kind of a lesbian are you?"

"The boob-touching kind."

Alex laughed again, the sound low and sexy to Piper's ears. Somehow, it didn't sound mocking. It was genuine, but it didn't make her feel even any more uneasy than she already was.

"All right, well...are you ready to take the plunge?" Alex grinned, "So to speak."

Piper murmured, "Are you gonna coach me through it?"

"Yeah."

Both women laughed breathlessly as their lips met once more. Piper was already giving herself a pep talk in her head. She could do this, she told herself. All she had to do was go down there and lick and suck and kiss. She sucked dicks before, what could be so different about a pussy? It's soft instead of hard. It's a flower instead of a lollipop. It's like a universe apart, Piper. No, it isn't. Shit. Fuck.

Then her thoughts broke apart when a cellphone began to ring.

"Shit," Alex groaned, unwilling to part from Piper's lips. Neither was the blonde, as she tried to make the kiss linger as long as it could.

Alex drew away, smiled apologetically and reached for her phone.

 _Fahri._

"Shit," Alex cursed as she hurriedly slid her glasses on to double check the name. Trying to sort her thoughts, she blankly asked, "What time is it in Amsterdam?"

Piper was reaching up to pull Alex's head back down, "I have no idea."

"Okay, um. Give me a second," Alex leaned down and kissed Piper again, a mix of apology and regret poured into it. The phone kept ringing in her hand.

"I'm sorry," she continued as the blonde latched on to her, "It's business."

Both women groaned as Alex slid off the bed, "I'll be right back."

Slipping on a shirt, she made her way out of the room. She called back towards the bed, "Do you want a glass of water?"

She couldn't hear Piper's response as her finger already pressed accept. Facing the window of the dining room, she absently glanced at the dimming light of day as Fahri's voice came through the crackly speakers.

"Alex. Did you check in with the girls in the Netherlands?"

Alex ran her fingers through her hair, "No. No, not yet. I'm sorry, I got sidetracked. I'll check in as soon as I can."

"As soon as you can?" Alex felt the hairs on her arms tingle, "There is $500,000 on the line. That's half a fucking million, Vause. Kubra would decapitate your head and hang it up as a fucking trophy if you lose this."

She damn well knew that, "How long have I worked for you, huh? I'll deal with it, Fahri."

"You better," was all he said before he hung up.

She was about to call the mules when she heard rustling, followed by a loud thud. It was then she noticed that the main door was unlocked. Her heart dropped to the soles of her feet.

Fuck, she thought, and raced to the bedroom. When she saw the bed was vacant, she nearly doubled over as panic punctured her stomach. She flicked the light switch and saw two wrestling bodies on the floor. Both were grunting as the one on top fought to gouge the eyes of the other. "Jesus! What the fuck?"

She slammed the phone on the nearby cabinet and rushed towards the brawling bodies. "Stop! Sylvie!" She yanked the hooded figure, a small body that struggled like an aggressive dog on a leash. "Stop it, Sylvie! Shit!"

"Bitch!" Sylvie spat.

Alex winced at Piper's shocked expression as she pulled her up from the floor. "Jesus," she huffed.

"She...she attacked me," Piper gasped, trying to hide her naked body from the intruder. She nearly toppled over, but Alex's hands steadied her trembling figure.

"Are you fucking kidding?"

Alex had her arms out with her palms forward, "Stop," she told Sylvie, then turned to the blonde. "Piper–"

"She just broke in here," Piper interrupted.

Alex clenched her jaw as Sylvie roared, "I live here!"

Piper looked at Alex, expecting her to deny the claim. Instead, she watched as the brunette looked around the room. Looked at anything but her. No way, she gaped. No _fucking_ way.

Alex was almost afraid to look at Piper in the eyes as she saw the blonde's sheer shock halt her movements. She felt the questioning eyes on hers, and couldn't say anything but, "She does."

" _That's_ my girlfriend, you whore."

"No," Piper denied, pleaded almost. But as realisation sunk in, she was robbed of words. Instead of coherent responses, her mind began to bombard itself with questions. _She_ was the other woman? What the hell? Where was she before? Where the hell was this Sylvie person all day when she and Alex were...

She cradled her throbbing cheekbone as the other two argued. Their words were white noise, and she fought to get her head out of the murky water.

 _"...out of here and then we're gonna talk."_

 _"I said, get her out! Now!"_

Piper watched as Alex fought to keep the feisty woman in the room. What the hell is going on?

"Your girlfriend?" she muttered.

Alex couldn't keep her head straight. She felt like Piper had given _her_ the hangover, and she was being pulled in two directions by equally strong forces. "It's complicated, Piper."

All of a sudden, Piper felt her body move. She just wanted to leave. Just get out. Just fucking run until she was out of this house. She strode to the chair and began grabbing whatever she saw as hers. "This is so fucked up," she fumed.

"I'm sorry," Alex began. "I should've said something–"

"You think?" Piper snapped as she pulled her pants up.

Ignoring the spiteful tone, Alex tried to check Piper for injuries. There had been numerous times where she had been at the receiving end of her girlfriend's temper. She knew Sylvie packed a mean punch. "Are you hurt?" she asked, "Did she hurt you?"

Piper struggled away from Alex. She was to never touch her again. "She punched me in the face," she growled. "Yes, it hurts. Fuck."

Grabbing her bag, she blindly looked around for the rest of her clothes, "Where is my other shoe?" she muttered.

Alex stammered as she gathered the rest of Piper's clothes that were tossed at the foot of the bed, "I just...I-I–I kept seeing you around and...you know, I liked you. And then when you called–"

"Okay, stop it," Piper pleaded as she fought the rising hysteria. Her breaths came in short, raspy huffs, "Please don't. You're making it worse." She snatched her bra from Alex's hands as she tried to scrap together what dignity she had left.

"Did you find your other shoe?"

"Forget it," Still clutching Alex's bedsheets to her chest, Piper floundered towards the door.

Alex fought to keep her in sight for just another second. Damn all of this, she sighed. "What–you can't walk home without your shoes."

Stopping, Piper turned around with the look of someone who was about to do the disastrous walk of shame.

"They're nice...shoes."

Piper threw the other shoe to Alex's feet, seethed as it thudded across the wooden floor. "They're from Marshalls," she hissed as she reached for the doorknob and said "Fuck you," before slamming it shut.

Alex sat at the end of the bed, planted her elbows on her knees and held her head, which felt like a ticking time bomb. How did this even happen? she wondered. How the hell did everything begin to fuck up? She and Piper were having a blissfully wonderful time racking up orgasms throughout the day. Hell, she was sure she'd set a record for the most orgasms within an hour. All she really wanted to do now was slink back into bed and sleep. Maybe this was all a nightmare, she thought, and when she woke up, Piper would be asleep next to her and everything would be fine.

"What the fuck was that?"

No such luck, she thought as she opened her eyes to face her angry girlfriend. She kept quiet, trying to find the proper approach to the situation. She had her fair share of violent bouts before; that came with the job. She knew how to defuse bombs, and defuse it well. But whenever it came to sentimental things like relationships, she faltered like a virgin on her first date.

"What the _fuck_ was that, Alex?" Sylvie repeated.

Not knowing what to do, Alex shrugged. "I'm sorry, Sylvie. I...I fucked up."

Sylvie scoffed and set her hands on her hips, "Fucked up, huh? That's the fucking understatement of the century. Who the hell is she?" she demanded. "Is she an associate? Is she a mule?"

"No. She's none of those things. She's not a part of the ring." Alex wasn't sure whether that offended or reassured Sylvie. But frankly, she didn't really give a damn.

"So you just...blatantly cheated on me."

Alex lifted her glasses to her head and pinched the bridge of her nose, "I fucked up, Sylvie."

"Yes, Alex!" Sylvie howled. "You fucked up! Now what're you gonna do? Are you going to just sit there and keep telling me you fucked up or are you actually going to do something about it?"

Alex saw her window. It was a very shallow, very manipulative window, but a window nevertheless. She pushed off the bed, strode straight to Sylvie and pinned her against the door. She attacked her neck with vigour, planting open-mouthed kisses as she made her way to her chest. As she heard Sylvie's gasp, as she felt her fingers on her head, she knew she narrowly escaped the fight.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. But she knew her heart wasn't in the apology. "I'm sorry."

It was only after the sex that Alex realised that during the entire time that they had been fucking, she pictured Sylvie as Piper.

Fuck me, she thought.


	4. Chapter 4: And None of That Wimpy Shit

For the next few weeks, Piper suffered a dry spell. She sulked, and she hated herself for it. She could _see_ herself being a depressing piece of shit and she couldn't seem to snap herself out of it. She overreacted. She was annoyed with herself for overreacting. She was annoyed at the _fact_ that she was annoyed. And all this annoyance just compounded together to give her one hell of a headache.

She missed Alex.

Don't do that, she berated herself. She lied to her, by omission. She used her, and she only apologised because she got caught. The past few weeks gave her more than enough time to conclude that had Sylvie not barged in that night, Alex wouldn't have told her that she was taken. They would've continued their scandalous affair, without her even _knowing_ it was an affair.

But, she wondered, wasn't drug dealing based on secrecy? Why did Alex tell her she was a drug dealer if she didn't intend on keeping her around? Surely that'd breach some kind of ethical code in the drug business.

Damn it, she never liked having more questions than answers.

From her curled up position on the couch, she stretched, grabbed her phone and scrolled through the numerous text messages that Alex sent. It was filled with apologies and pleads to please, please let her explain. She even tried to play dirty, Piper mused as she scrolled to the picture that Alex sent just two days ago. It was a snap of the brunette, emerald eyes glittering as they looked directly at the camera and her full lips formed an adorable pout. It nearly convinced Piper to submit.

Nearly. She never replied to any of the texts. She held strong. But damn it, she missed the sex.

The notification sound sent her heart into a quick, little flutter, but immediately deflated like a popped balloon when she saw that it wasn't Alex.

 _Polly: Where the hell have you been? Haven't heard or gotten a text from you in like a month_

 _Piper: At home, and_ _I'm_ _sorry. Been a little busy_

 _Polly: Did you get a job?_

Piper groaned as she rolled her head to face the ceiling. Did she really sulk so much she forgot to tell her best friend that she did get a job?

 _Piper: Yeah, it was that waitress job down at the bistro._

 _Polly: That's awesome Piper! We need to celebrate. Clubbing?_

 _Piper: Not really in the mood for a party, Pol._

 _Polly: I didn't mean tonight. I have a date with Pete. But, there's this burlesque show downtown. It's a one time thing apparently. It involves puppets and stripping_

 _Piper: Wow! That sounds real tempting. I'm sure men are just flocking to the stage. Probably a handful of women included._

 _Polly: Speaking of. Did you ever call that girl you met at the bar?_

 _Piper: Nope. I just threw the tissue away._

 _Polly: Hahaha, her loss._

Damn right it was, Piper huffed.

 _Polly: But seriously. Something's been up with you and you need the distraction. I wish I could come but you really need to go out and have some fun. Loosen up, you know?_

Piper sighed. She agreed that she needed the distraction. But the prospect of taped nipples and belly dancers really didn't appeal to her libido.

 _Polly: And I heard really good reviews about it in other cities._

Piper sighed again. She'll take the ticket, she thought. Maybe drinking wouldn't be as bad without a certain brunette by her side.

 _Piper: Where is it?_

* * *

"Alex, baby, we're going to be late."

Alex slammed a pillow on her head in an attempt to shut off the nagging voice. She refused to leave the solitude of sleep. To hell with the show, she fumed. To hell with getting out of bed. To hell with socialising. To hell with Piper fucking Chapman.

"Alex!"

Her temper snapped, and she threw the pillow in the direction of the voice. It was apparently the right direction as she heard Sylvie's _umph_. She heard a loud clatter that sounded like a mascara being dropped.

Fuck, she thought when the nagging increased tenfold.

"Fine! Fine, Sylvie. I'm up, see?" To prove it, Alex sported a bright, dangerous smile on her face as she tossed the covers off her body and rolled out of bed. "I'm up."

"What the fuck is your problem?" Sylvie shouted.

"My fucking _problem_ is that I don't want to go and I never wanted to go to this bullshit party."

"Alex, this is Rachel's first gig. We need to be there, we're her friends. And you've seen the way she performs, she looks fucking hot."

She couldn't deny that. "All the more reason not to go," she argued. "We already saw it, so what's the point of seeing it again?"

"We didn't see it with the other performers. And–"

"Just stop," Alex sighed. A person in fucking Antarctica would see that this argument was a waste of time, and that she would end up going anyway. But if she was being really honest, she didn't want to go because she wanted to wallow in her ridiculous grief. Annoyance in every move, she grabbed her glasses from the bedside table and stalked to the dresser. She pulled out a random black shirt out of a drawer, and clenched her jaw as Sylvie whistled behind her.

"Baby, I think you're going to have trouble keeping my attention tonight. I look dangerously single and sexy."

Please, Alex scoffed as she turned around. The woman looked like a desperate hooker that got dumped on the street by her sugar daddy. She managed to fix a smile on her face, "In that case, I'll be sure to bring my gun."

To shoot herself with.

* * *

"Alex! Sylvia!"

A chorus of squeals filled Alex's ears as they entered the club. The air was so humid she could feel it sweating around her. The combined smell of sex and alcohol made her nauseous, fogging her mind like a wild mist. Jesus, she thought. If you're really there, please take me as your noble lesbian martyr.

She suddenly felt razor sharp nails digging into her palm. They were sharp enough to draw blood. Snapping her head around, she hissed, "What the fuck, Sylvie?"

"You're frowning and ruining the mood," Sylvie snarled back.

What the hell, she snapped, but loosened her face. She felt her defiance fire up as they were lead to a circular table near the stage. Nobody tells her how her face was suppose to look like. She wanted happy? she thought as conversations began She'll give her happy. She'll be so fucking happy it'll be sickening.

"So, Alex. Sylvie told me your business is doing great!"

Alex turned to one of the women to her right, fixing on a sugary smile that could make Willy Wonka weep in his candy shoes. "Oh, yeah. We just got a new shipment of this old table thing, an old dresser," she rattled off the rest of her late grandma's furniture. "Yeah, everybody likes antiques. That or they're potheads who buys them to drop them off at their great grandmother's grave for her birthday."

She smirked as one of the women's faces contorted in surprise. "Right? Sylvie can explain more about that though. I'm getting us drinks."

"But Rachel–"

"Isn't on for another thirty minutes. God knows we need the alcohol to survive this place. Wouldn't want to ruin the mood, right babe?" Alex pointedly looked at Sylvie, winked and sauntered off to the bar.

Squeezing her way in, she hailed the bartender. "Tequila shots, lemon and salt. And none of that wimpy shit."

Standing by the door of the club, Piper stared in shock. Alex? she gaped. Alex was here? She blinked several times to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. She watched as the brunette hauled a tray full of tequila glasses off the bar. Unconsciously, Piper slowly moved and kept Alex in her sights until she saw where–or rather, who–she was going back to. She pressed her lips together and turned to the bar. Nabbing an empty chair, she set her elbows on the counter and raked her shaking fingers through her hair.

"What can I get for you?"

Piper straightened as the bartender looked at her with questioning eyes. "Yes. Hi, um. Appletini? Do you...do you have that?"

Scoffing, the bartender reached underneath the counter for a glass. "Baby, we have everything."

You even have Alex, she thought pathetically. She turned her head to sneak a peak, saw the wide grin as the brunette set up what looked to be Quarter Shot. Her blood boiled when she caught sight of Sylvie, who hung on Alex's shoulder like a baby latched on to its mother. How could someone like her land, let alone date, someone like Alex? She looked like a fucking skank, she fumed.

"You're not going to start throwing shit around, are you?"

She snapped back to the bartender, "What?"

"You look like King Kong. A hot, female version, but still. I'd really appreciate it if you don't throw a tantrum at my bar."

"Sorry. I won't." Deliberately, Piper relaxed her face, told herself to enjoy the night. She took the glass of Appletini and smiled at the bartender in gratitude.

"You take care of yourself," the bartender said.

"Thanks. Uh...do you know when the burlesque show will start?"

The bartender flicked his wrist and looked at his watch, "Should be starting in about twenty minutes. You don't look like someone who's into..."

"I'm not," Piper told him as he trailed off. She could already feel the alcohol seeping to her brain. Or maybe it was her brain seeping out of her ears. "I was told to come here."

The bartender nodded in acknowledgement and rushed to the other side to take another order.

Raising the glass to her lips, Piper tipped it back, deliberately slow, feeling the hot trail light itself on fire down her throat. She tuned into the band, a millennium better than the one she saw last. The vision of the guitarist having her way with the instrument made her grin. The girl was having the time of her life up there, she thought. Strumming those strings, entertaining people who either wanted to get laid or drown their sorrows in beverages. She found what she wanted to do in the future.

Piper Chapman? She scoffed to herself. No way she knew what to do with her life. No depressing thoughts, she corrected immediately and sipped her drink. Not tonight. Tonight, she'll watch the show. She'll–

She made the mistake of looking over at Alex again. The indistinct chatter around the bar made it difficult to separate her voice from the rest of the club. She watched as the brunette threw a coin, and clapped her hands in laughter. Then she remembered what those hands could make her feel. Piper couldn't look away as Alex tipped her head back with a tequila shot and let out a joyous _woo_.

She turned back to the bar and scolded herself. She lied to you, remember? She used you. She got alcohol in your system, got you in her bed and fucked you like there was no tomorrow.

Maybe she shouldn't remember that last part.

She shifted, angling her body away from Alex's general direction. She didn't need to torture herself. All she needed to do was drink her Appletini and wait for the show. Maybe she should find someone, she mused as she let her eyes roam the club. She could use the distraction.

At the table, Alex pretended to sway on her chair and laughed, "Woo! That's some drink."

She tried not to roll her eyes as everybody laughed hysterically, obviously past the gate of tipsy and on the highway of downright drunk. The alcohol wasn't even that strong, she thought. Bunch of wimps.

She needed a break.

She leaned closer to Sylvie's ear, "I gotta pee. I'll be back."

Sylvie, who was as intoxicated as the rest of the group, nodded and tried to go for a kiss. Alex smoothly avoided the lip-lock as she slid out of her chair. Flashing a smile, she made her way to the bathroom, squeezing and weaving through the hyperactive crowd. She heard excited whispers about the performers; who's dancing on who? Who's bringing out the whip? Who's bringing a strap on? So much fuss for an amateur strip show, she mused.

She kept walking until the music became muffled behind hollow walls and a curtain of beads. She looked around, then sighed when she found the bathroom door closed. Leaning against the wall, she finally dropped the act of a drunk. She felt tired and drained. She just wanted to go home, close her eyes and–

"Hey."

Alex turned around and felt her mouth and eyes widen in sheer shock. Piper, she gaped. Piper's here. For a moment, she couldn't speak. Her mind whirled with all the speeches she prepared to give if she ever saw the blonde again. She wanted to say she was sorry, but that tumbled over the explanation that lodged itself on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to just grab her right then and there and kiss her as long as she was allowed to.

Instead, she felt the corners of her lip curl up. After all of that thinking, the only word she could muster up was, "Hey."

She looked over Piper's shoulder to see if anybody in the club could see inside the small hallway. She really didn't want a reenactment of that night's hoorah.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice low.

"Oh, I just, um..." Piper looked around blankly, trying to reassemble her thoughts. She swallowed down her stammering and steeled herself, "I heard about the burlesque show."

"Oh."

"You?"

Though her mind jumped from one place to the other, she kept her tone casual, "My friend Rachel's in it. She does this routine with a Ray Romano puppet," she chuckled. "It's surprisingly sexy."

Both women laughed, but they knew they needed to address the pink elephant. The laughter faded away as they fought their individual wars in their head.

Figuring it was her fault that the elephant was pink, Alex spoke first. "Look, I'm really sorry about that night, Piper. I'm not a shady person." Drug dealing wasn't shady, she consoled herself. It was just business.

"Oh, come on, don't worry about it," Piper moved to the other wall. "I mean, I've never been punched before. It was probably a good life experience."

Alex had to laugh as she shifted to face Piper. "I meant it," she said, "when I said that things were complicated. I'm new to this whole...relationship thing. You know, I don't...I don't know the rules."

She expected Piper to nod, accept the apology, then walk away. She prepared herself to let her. When Piper showed a small smile, she was perplexed.

"That's the whole problem, isn't it?" Piper murmured. "Rules aren't any fun."

Alex felt her heart hammer in her chest like a jungle drum. They were so close, she thought. All she had to do was angle her head, and she would feel Piper's lips on hers again. She leaned closer, but jerked back when she heard a faint click.

The door to the bathroom opened as the woman inside smiled apologetically towards the pair before rushing out. Her bladder forgotten, Alex closed the door before returning her attention to the woman next to her. She watched as determination flashed over Piper's face before she leaned closer.

"Listen, I don't want to stand in the way of true love. I mean, if that is your future wife out there, by all means, tell me to back off."

Alex nearly laughed at the idea of permanence with Sylvie. She'd rather die than let that happen, she mused. She kept quiet as Piper continued.

"But you pursued me...and I liked it. I've...I've never felt..." Piper's cheeks began to redden. It didn't help when humour sparkled over Alex's face, her grin boasting of pride.

She managed to pull through, "You know, I've never really thought of myself as a very sexual person, but...ever since."

Alex felt her breath catch in her throat as Piper slowly leaned forward. Her skin longed for her touch, all but yearned. Her heart pounded as warm breath reached her ears, then doubled over at the words that followed.

"I want to taste what you taste like."

Alex's eyes fluttered shut as she felt her juices began to surge; strong, hard, fast. She fought to open her eyes when Piper withdrew. She looked into the blonde's eyes; they gleamed, she realised. They gleamed of fun and adventure, promises worth unveiling. Her lips all but taunted her when they opened, just slightly. Whatever the band in the club played came to her only in bass. Pumping, throbbing bass. The rest was pure static.

She cupped Piper's neck, the answer to her silent question in that one touch. She tilted her head and pressed their lips together. Fireworks, she mused as her body relished in the contact. She never knew how much she missed the taste of ripe peaches until she was depraved of this woman. Her hands trailed down and molded Piper's breasts, gave herself the pleasure of feeling her hardness against her palm.

Blindly reaching forward, she found the door to the bathroom, twisted the knob and all but shoved both of them inside before shutting the door.

Fireworks, she thought again. Fireworks got nothing on this.

* * *

After familiarising and re-familiarising herself with Alex's taste, Piper crawled herself onto Alex's lap. The brunette sat on the closed toilet seat, using wads of tissues as a cover. Her arms were around the blonde's waist as she planted absentminded kisses on her shoulders.

"What happened here?"

Piper held Alex's hand up when she noticed the faint semi-circles on her palm.

"Oh," Alex shifted, uneasy. "Sylvie must've done that. She...she got mad earlier. Told me to not 'ruin the mood'. I was being pissy."

Piper considered, then gently pressed her lips to the marked spots.

Alex watched her, the tender movement rendering her silent as confusing thoughts began to emerge from places she didn't know existed. For the first time in her life, she felt herself melt like a lemon drop under direct sunlight. And for the first time, she felt her heart yearn in her chest. Unable to say anything, Alex frowned a little, brought Piper's head closer and leaned forward for a kiss. But this time, the kiss was soft, loving almost. It built up slowly, both of them yielding to the rush of feelings that bursted through in short, meandering waves.

"What do we do now?" Piper murmured.

Still reeling from the barrage of emotions, Alex knew what she had to do. "I'll leave her," she said when a thought came to mind.

"I'll leave her," she repeated, "on one condition."

Piper tilted her head, a questioning smile playing on her lips.

"I want you to be mine."

* * *

We all know what the answer to that is ;) Hey guys, ele here. This is the first author's note of not many, so I'll keep it short and simple. Firstly: THANK YOU! I never expected much when I first uploaded the story. I just thought: hey I'm procrastinating study, so let's see how this story goes. Then BAM! So, sincerely, thank you, and I'll do my best to continue this story for you guys (and for myself, since S5 is still a bajillion years away and everybody needs their Vauseman fix). Also...as you can see, I'm not very good at sex scenes, so most sex scenes are like fluffy cotton and then a scene change. Sorry, I know how to write romantic (ish) scenes, but not smut :(

Anyway, thank you again (seriously). I'll see you in the next few chapters, and I hope you enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5: No, I Am Not Pregnant

Back at the house, Alex waited comfortably on the couch, the soothing voice of Norah Jones seeping through the stereo like a soft lullaby. She had lit a scented candle, a promising smell of fresh lavender, in hopes of overcoming the undeniable smell of ravenous sex in the room. The whole scene looked serene; like she was a housewife waiting for her doctor husband to come home from a hard day of probing people's intestines.

But she wasn't a wife, and she sure as hell wasn't waiting for a dick.

Not a physical one, anyway.

When the door opened, she turned her head around to see a really drunk, really pissed off Sylvie. Breathing in, she set her book down and stood up, like a warrior slipping on her armour for battle. Pressing a button on a remote, she paused the music and felt the eery feeling of silence drop like a tomb. She turned back around, and slightly cocked her head as Sylvie swayed.

She could've sworn she heard a boxing bell ring.

"Where," Sylvie growled, "the _hell_ were you?"

Her anger was justified, Alex thought. She left the woman at the club when she and Piper snuck out. In retrospect, she realised they looked like two giggling kids ditching school after the first hour. They skipped the show, hailed a cab and went straight to her house for a more comfortable surface than a toilet seat.

She steeled her face when Sylvie strode closer. "I went home," she stated.

"And left me at the club? Alone? With _no_ ride home?"

Alex gestured widely, "And yet here you are. Like dark magic."

Incredulous, Sylvia gaped. "Did you get _forget_ about me?"

Walking to the dining room, Alex paused to turn, held a finger to her head and pretended to wince. "Ah, oops. Must have slipped my mind. You did say I wouldn't have been able to keep your attention tonight. Guess my attention...wandered off?"

Sylvie huffed like a triggered bull. Alex watched in slight amusement as the woman threw her clutch bag across the room, nearly toppling over a picture frame. She saw the feral look in her eyes, the haze of red already clouding her vision.

Alex braced herself. She wouldn't back down. Not now. "Sylvie," she began, stepping forward. "Look. You and I, we have a good thing going. You helped with the business and you managed to not be a bitch for the first month. But—"

"Don't continue that sentence, Alex."

She ignored the order. "But I think that you and I should end this. It's run its course."

"So, what?" Sylvie scoffed. "You're gonna kick me out of the house now?"

"It's my house, Sylvie. I bought it."

"With money that _I_ helped—"

"You didn't do anything but drive a suitcase to a drop off spot," Alex reminded her. "I've made up my mind, Sylvie. Leave. I'll pack your things and ask Rachel to send them to you when I'm done."

"What happened?" Losing full composure, Sylvie began to wail and staggered towards her. Alex nimbly stepped to the side, causing the smaller woman to fall forward. As much as Alex wanted her to meet the floor, she managed to catch herself on the couch.

"What happened to us?" she demanded, hot tears on her cheeks. "We were—we were doing fine! We nearly got a dog, remember? We were going to travel together."

Alex grounded her teeth to dust, her patience wearing thin. They never even talked about dogs, she thought. And Sylvie only wanted to travel because she would be able to see the world, free of charge. Not for her, Alex thought, not for love. Sighing, she racked her brain, rummaging for a way to get this woman out of her life as fast as possible.

Alex crossed her arms and laced her tone with venom. "We were not fine, Sylvia. I cheated on you, remember?"

The response was pathetically pleading. "You said it was a mistake."

Alex looked at her quietly before responding, "It wasn't."

She might as well have tossed a truckload of kindle into a simmering fire. The woman _exploded_. In other circumstances, she would've found it...endearing. But right now, she felt a twinge of worry wedge itself in her stomach.

"That's why you're dumping with me? To—to be with that whore?"

Alex rounded the dining table as Sylvie stalked towards her. She knew she could take her on, but she wanted to avoid physical bouts whenever she could. On opposite sides, arms planted on the table, the two women faced off like a lawyer and a witness on the stand.

"That's it, isn't it?" Sylvie bellowed. "Not the bullshit ship-ran-its-course. You're leaving me for that blonde bitch."

"That's none of your business, Sylvie."

"It sure fucking hell it is. You didn't have friends before me. I _gave_ you a social life, you ungrateful piece of—"

"That's enough—"

"Like hell it is!" Sylvie roared, unstoppable. She'll be damned before she loses her plane ticket to the world. "Tell me. Tell me this isn't because of her."

"It isn't," Alex insisted, pushing her glasses up to her head. "It's you and me. It's my choice, and you're going to have to accept—"

"Fuck you, Alex!"

At her wits' end, Alex kicked a chair. She fought to slow her ragged breath, clawed for tranquility. She needed to do this, she reminded herself. She needed to do this _right_. Taking a deep breath, she strode towards the smaller woman and pushed her two steps towards the door.

"Did you forget what I do for a living?" Alex's voice was so low, so cold. Sylvie felt the room temperature drop several degrees as her own face whitened.

Another shove. "Did you forget who I was connected to? Who I could ask to kill your fucking skinny ass with a click of a finger?"

She shoved until Sylvie had her back against the wall by the door. "I don't care what happens to you from this point on. You forgot who I am, Sylvia. Who I _really_ am. And that...is a big mistake."

Alex watched as the woman fumbled behind her for the doorknob, stepped back as she swung the door open and pulled her glasses back down to see Sylvie running like a gazelle towards the corner of the street. You'd think the whole apocalypse was after her, she mused. She continued to watch her until she disappeared out of her sight.

Shutting the door, she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"And who are you really, Alex Vause?"

Alex swivelled around to see Piper leaning on the doorframe by the bedroom. She wore nothing but a shirt, highlighting her toned legs that looked like they stretched right up to her neck. Her blonde hair were in waves as it rolled down her shoulders, the faint light from the candle illuminating her exotic face. Alex felt the familiar catch of breath and continued to admire the woman.

Piper, immensely and ridiculously turned on by the turn of events, sauntered towards her. She heard everything. And she knew that by the end of the night, her heart will no longer be hers to hold, and she was trying exceptionally hard to be okay with that. She put one foot in front of the other, keeping her eyes on the churning seas of green. She wasn't trying to be sexy, but the clouded expression in Alex's eyes told her she didn't have to try. She kept walking until she was toe to toe with the raven-haired beauty.

She asked again, "Who are you, Alex?"

Alex tilted her head, gave a sly smile. "Why don't you find out?" she murmured.

Without responding, Piper laid her lips on hers.

Truthfully, Alex didn't know the answer. All she knew was that she wanted bite after bite of this gorgeous, gorgeous woman. She swore she'd never tire of her taste, that sweet taste of ripe, soft fruit. Her mind fraying, she whipped them around, shoved the blonde against the closed door, yanked her arms up and handcuffed her wrists above her head.

Their mouths warred for dominance. Keeping her pinned, Alex pulled the shirt up and found Piper already hot for her, already wet. Piper's gasp ended on a cry when she drove her hard and fast to climax. She felt a new kind of madness as Alex worked her up and above a new plane of pleasure.

And when she came, she felt like her insides were turned in and out, then in again. It was brutal...but so, so glorious.

If Alex hadn't held her against the door, she might have slid to the floor like putty. Instead, despite a wracking orgasm, her system began to wake up again when she felt soft lips on her neck. It was like Alex was the car key, she thought, and she was the engine.

"One more," Alex growled. "Take more, Pipes."

Piper gasped when she felt herself be filled again. She cried out in ecstasy, feeling the fire burn strong and hot inside her. She bowed back, pressing herself against Alex, submitting to her divine torture. She could barely think, barely breathe. But she found she didn't care.

How did she do that? she thought dimly. How could someone she barely knew have this effect on her? She moaned when Alex laid her lips on hers, the kiss dark and delicious. She shook, cried out, then trembled as sweet release coursed through her, battering her battered senses.

* * *

Grinning, Piper opened the door and wrapped her arms around her friend. "Hey, stranger."

Polly returned the hug and walked inside. "For the record," she said as she shed her coat, "I'm always more than willing to ditch my boyfriend for pizza and a beer. And gossip."

Laughing, Piper shut the door and walked to the couch. She wanted to make this as casual as possible. No weird stuff. Now if she could just stop smiling like a toddler, she thought as she fought to fix her face. She leaned over to flick on one of the lamps. She barely felt the couch give way to Polly's weight.

"I already ate most of the pizza," Piper said, gesturing to the open bottles and half-empty pizza box. "And it's not gossip."

Making herself at home, the smaller woman made absentminded noises as she eyed the food.

"It's nothing serious," she continued, oblivious to her rambling. "Not really. I could've told you over the phone, but we haven't seen each other in a while. It's just something I feel you should know about me."

Polly's hand paused in the act of grabbing a slice of pizza. Her head snapped up, her eyes widening. "Are you _pregnant_?"

The blonde blinked, completely surprised. "Wh–How–"

"You are!" Pizza forgotten, Polly grabbed her friend's hands and squeezed. "Whose is it?" she squealed. "How long? And why haven't you told me sooner?"

The questions continued to tumble over one another like a paparazzi intervention. "Polly," Piper fought to clear through the confusion. "Polly. Polly, shh. No, I am not pregnant."

"Oh." Polly pouted as she deflated. Releasing Piper's hands, she reached for a slice and took one big bite.

Still reeling, Piper waved her hands, "I don't–why would I say that a _baby_ isn't serious?"

Polly shrugged, "I don't know, I guess I thought you were trying to play it off."

"That's–" Piper sighed. She reminded herself why she asked her friend to come over. The thought alone made her exhale a long breath.

"Polly," she began. "I'm seeing someone."

Brightening up at the confession, Polly raised her eyebrows and took another bite. "Is that why you've been AWOL lately?"

"Work's been taking up a bit too. But she's amazing," Piper grinned. "She's so mysterious and hot and she has such talented fingers. You'll like her." Probably. Hopefully.

Deciding the pizza had one too many pepperonis on it, Polly laid it back down and reached for a cigarette.

"That's great," she said blankly, her mind still on the disappointing pizza. Maybe—

Wait.

"Wait," she interrupted, " _Her_? S _he_?"

Piper prepared herself for this. She nodded solemnly, "Yes. Her name's Alex. She's the one I met at the bar."

"But you told me you threw the tissue away."

"Yeah. Well," Piper shifted, "I lied."

"Okay. I get it. No, wait. No, I don't. You know what?" Polly made exaggerated wiping gestures with both hands, "Here is the board. Wiped clean. Okay. Start from the top."

Taking a deep breath, Piper tucked her legs in and prepared to lay out the story of her relationship. She began with how they met at the bar, sensibly leaving out the part where Alex told her about her...occupation. She talked about their first time together, how it was basically heaven on earth. Hesitantly, she told her about Sylvie.

"Wow," Polly managed to epitomise sincere disbelief in that one word. "You slut."

"Hey, no. I didn't know she was taken at the time." Again, she sensibly left out her thought process and the events that followed during the burlesque show.

Polly took a slow drag from her cigarette. Thoughtfully, she blew it away from Piper. "So...is this your coming out party?"

Setting her bottle on the coffee table, Piper took and popped a piece of pineapple in her mouth, "What do you mean?"

Polly narrowed her eyes. She could obviously see that her friend was happy. Delirious, even. But she knew Piper, and knew her well. Which is why she had her doubts on how serious her best friend actually was.

"I mean, are you now officially a lesbian?"

"I'm not gay. I'm not," she insisted when she saw Polly roll her eyes. "I'm just experimenting.

Polly quirked her eyebrows, her incredulous question of _Really?_ ringing loud and clear.

The blonde sighed, "I don't know. Maybe all of the guys that I've been with so far have just been really bad in bed, but..."

Her voice began to drift, "I'm telling you...it's like I _just_ discovered what sex is suppose to be."

"But she has a girlfriend."

"Mmm..." Piper thought of the blissful night a week ago. "She _had_ a girlfriend. They were having problems. It's over."

"For sure?"

"Yeah."

Polly had to smile. She really is happy, she thought. She refused to dampen it...but still. "I don't know, Piper."

Piper grinned, hiding her face in her arms. She was never this giddy about a relationship, but something about this one just made her want to talk about it again and again with whoever wanted to listen. She wanted to talk about how lucky she was. How awesome it was to have a tall, sexy woman as a _girlfriend_. Even just the thought of Alex made her libido dance a little shimmy. Maybe that's why, she realised. This was her first relationship with a woman. Maybe that's why she was so giddy about it.

Both women turned their heads when the doorbell rang. Without really expecting an answer, Piper asked, "Who is that?"

* * *

Feeling totally spy-like, unhygienic and successful, Sylvie peered over the top of a car. She knew she couldn't be seen; her black hood was drawn over her head, the darkness of the night aiding her aim to remain invisible. Unconsciously, her fingers curled into tight fists when she saw Piper open the door. _Blonde bitch. Ass slug. Cunt rag. Fucking—_

Breathing in, she told herself to relax, that her 'present'—that truly came from within—will be more than enough to get her back for stealing Alex.

She watched gleefully as Piper stomped on the paper bag, nearly howled with laughter as she heard her disgusted squeals. Blondes _are_ stupid, she thought.

 _"Poop? In a bag? On fire?"_

She was proud of that, Sylvie mused. She remembered doing the same thing when she was fourteen to a girl who wouldn't let her borrow her phone to text her then-girlfriend. She was the talk of the school back then...except they didn't _know_ it was her. People had dubbed the incident as "Shitbag" and she kept her self-fame to herself, basking in its awesome and lonely glory.

 _"Do you think it's human shit?"_

Sylvie had to bite on her hand to keep herself from howling of laughter. Of _course_ it was human shit. It was _her_ shit. She had to buy a whole goddamn packet of paper bags because apparently, buying one piece wasn't allowed. She shook her head; what kind of America do we live in nowadays?

Throwing the lighter she had stolen on the pavement, Sylvie slunk back into the dark. She saw and heard what she had wanted to hear. She shoved her hands in her pockets, walked away from the house and mentally patted herself for a job well done.

* * *

"Lesbians are insane," Polly announced, walking back inside. She heard a muffled buzzing, and tried to follow the sound. She tracked it to Piper's phone.

"Piper!" she called out. "Someone's calling you! It's—"

Her eyebrows rose as she glanced at the screen. "It's Alex!"

Leaving her shit-stained boots on the porch, Piper bolted in and lunged for Polly's hand. She gaped when her hands clutched nothing but air. Her friend had twirled out of reach and held the phone like a trophy.

Grinning mischievously, Polly answered the phone. "Hi, you have reached the mailbox of—"

A low voice interrupted, "If you wanted to be a robot, try taking classes first. You sound like fucking Barbie."

Piper struggled with a snort as Polly's face registered sheer shock and insult. Treating her phone like a grenade with a loose pin, she carefully tugged it from limp hands, and placed it to her ear. "Hey," she said.

She heard a husky laugh that shot straight to her loins, "Hey. Who was that?"

Piper looked at Polly, who now sat on the couch, her face aloof. "It was Polly."

"Oh, shit. Is she going to fire you from Le Grand Fromage?"

Piper chuckled, "No, she won't. Don't worry about it. She has a sense of humour." Affectionately, she nudged the woman in question, who flipped up her middle finger in her direction.

Another laugh, "Right. So, what're you doing Saturday night?"

Piper flipped through her mental calendar, "Nothing. Why?"

"I'm having a house party. The business is going well, and one of my friends wanted to throw a party in celebration. As the person who led them to such brilliant success, I took it upon myself to host one. I would really, really enjoy it if you were with me."

Piper was already planning a shopping spree. "Are you kidding? Of course!"

"Great. Good. I'll see you then. Oh, and bring Polly along. I think it'd be nice to meet her and...make amends."

"Are you planning to be the Ken to her Barbie?" Piper teased.

"Why would I want to do that when I could be the Shrek to your Princess Fiona?"

"Aww," Piper cooed, giggling. "We're ogres. That's so cute."

Polly murmured, "I'm gonna throw up."

Piper's laughter died down as she remembered what else nearly made _her_ threw up. She glanced at the door, down at the paper bag and her poor, bullied boots. She was about to tell Alex about the whole ordeal, but decided against it when defiance surfaced through the disgust. She wasn't a kid running to her mother, she thought. She didn't need to hide. She was a strong, independent woman who don't need no other woman.

"I have to go," Alex told her. "My other phone's ringing."

"Okay."

"I'll see you—oh, and bring a bag. An overnight bag. You're staying for the weekend."

A soft smile bloomed. "Am I?"

"You are. So, Saturday?"

Her eyes still on her front porch, Piper nodded. "Mm-hmm. See you on Saturday."

"Your girlfriend's a jerk," Polly stated when the call was dropped.

Piper bit her lip to stop the grin, "She just needs some getting used to."

"Why didn't you tell her?" Polly didn't need to specify what she was talking about. They were both looking towards the door as they eyed the smeared poop—which remained unidentified if animal or human.

"Because I see no point in it. She'll just get mad and worry that the crazy's going to do something again."

"And what if she does?"

"Then I'll deal with it," Piper claimed. "I can take her on. No problem. I know a fighting move that nobody else does."

Polly snickered, "What's that?"

The blonde looked at her, a sly smile. "An ancient technique called kick-ass."


	6. Chapter 6: You Are Cool

Alex sat stiffly on the couch, unsettled by the quietly ominous air in the room. She'd done this numerous times, but it always made her back slick with sweat whenever the meeting involved Kubra himself. She'd met the man, of course, but his hard demeanour always dried up what conversation she could muster. Through the years, she eventually learned to stop trying to be more than just Alex Vause, the importer.

The smell of smoke filled her lungs. The maniacal laughter behind a closed door told her that their clients were having much more fun than she was. The murmur of hushed conversations continued through the night, ones she was rarely involved in.

"Just do your job," Fahri had told her.

So she did. And did it pretty fucking well.

"We have covered everything, yes?" Kubra's tone spoke of position and power. He commanded his business the way a general commands his warship. No fumbles, mistakes and bullshit were tolerated in this craft. Errors were corrected at the cost of a life.

Fahri nodded. "We're ready. I bought and loaded new burners. Alex found the mules last week." He looked towards her, silently giving her the floor.

She gave an affirmative nod. "I already gave the girls your number. One of them is a sales advisor at the airport and the other was a flight attendant. The attendant said she can practically walk through baggage claim without anyone caring, and she looked the type to mean what she says, so I'm not calling bullshit on that. Fahri and I will drive there just before closing, and we should be back here before 7."

"Good," Kubra said. "Aydin, I will send you a text after I finish with this client. I have someone I want you to take care of."

"By when?"

"By tomorrow. If that's all...Fahri, I'd like to speak with you later."

He stood, broad shoulders expanding, nodded to the people in the room and walked out.

Slowly, Alex let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"You haven't been in touch lately."

She turned her head towards Fahri, fixing a look of disinterest on her face. "I've been working. I managed to get a few girls yesterday and they agreed to get the money over to Bali for next month's deal. That—"

"I need to talk to you about that," he said, crushing a cigarette butt on the ash tray before leaning back on the couch. "Kubra wants you to go to Bali and make sure the trade is handled properly."

Alex was surprised, but hid it well under a cool mask. "Why me?"

Silently, he took a long drag from his cigarette as he studied her. She'd never protested or question any of his orders before, he thought. He blew out the smoke before replying, "Because he trusts you. And he wants this to go as smoothly as possible. It's important for the business."

"Well, couldn't you—"

"He asked me to go to Paris to overlook the deal there. We're being shipped off like fucking ants, okay? Just do the job."

Alex huffed. "I'm an importer, Fahri. Not a dealer."

"He wasn't asking, Vause."

And just like that, Alex had lost. She nodded sombrely and drank deep from her bottle of beer. She could use the small vacation, she thought. But she still had work to do here. She needed to recruit more girls for the Greek deal in a few months. She'd made good progress on that, but Fahri told her to get more since they expected their volume output to rise within the week. If that happened, she needed to update her spreadsheets and make sure she could deliver on time. She—

She needed to tell Piper.

Alex frowned, just slightly. She never had to tell anyone about her business trips before. Sylvie had just nodded, waved her off with clear envy in her eyes. But Piper was different, she thought. She was the type of person to keep a light on in case you get home early. She wasn't a person to accept a lame excuse for disappearing for a week.

More importantly, she _wanted_ to tell Piper about it, which is a strange feeling in itself.

Before she could ponder on the issue, Fahri was grabbing her attention again. "Alex, did you want to grab a drink with us?"

She looked behind him and saw Aydin and his cousin making their way to the door. Thinking of unfinished lists and a particular blonde, she shook her head. "No, I think I'll finish up with work at home," she said, grabbing her things.

She was about to head out when she remembered. She turned around, "Oh. I'm having the party on Saturday night. If you want to come."

He nodded. "I'll see if I can make it."

"Great. See you."

She sailed out. Closing her eyes, she felt her lungs weep joyfully as they breathed in the fresh air. Then her mind thought of the empty bed and the silent humming of the night. Almost immediately, she took out her phone as she made her way to her car.

Alex: _Pipes, come tomorrow_.

* * *

Piper was lifting her fist to knock when the door opened. Her smile beamed as Alex stood in front of her, dreary-eyed and still in sleepwear. "Hey," she greeted.

Saying nothing, Alex shifted to the side, a quiet invitation. Piper frowned in confusion, but stepped inside, dropping her duffle bag on the couch. She never realised how comfortable she felt in here. It was like she'd always known this place, but still gawked at the grandness of it all. A smile in place, she was about to head to the bedroom when her wrist was grabbed. Before she could turn around, she was whipped backwards and against Alex's chest. She looked up with a protest at the tip of her tongue, but held it back when storms clouded her lover's eyes.

"What's–"

Alex shut the door–and her mouth–by pushing her back against it. The kiss smoldered with frustration, burned with such ferocity that she could all but feel a firewall simmering between their bodies. She bit Piper's bottom lip, heard her quick gasp. Smirking, she soothed the nip with her tongue before crashing their lips together for another searing kiss.

Piper tried to pull away and just _think_ , "Wait, wait. Alex, what's–"

"I'm in a mood," she snapped. "I don't know why, and I don't care. But I need you. Here. Now."

Piper let go of her questions. For now. "You have me," she told her.

Alex dragged Piper's shirt upwards and stopped at the wrists. She used it as a makeshift tie, keeping the blonde's wrists together as she–for the second time in a week–pinned her lover against the door. She felt a surge of pleasure as Piper half-heartedly struggled against it, felt her body rub against her own, letting her know of her skittish nerves. She left a trail of open-mouthed kisses from one shoulder to the other, faint hints of what she had in store.

"I'm going to fuck you," she murmured, dangerously low. "I'm going to fuck you until you pass out, and I won't stop until you _beg_ me to stop. And even then..." She paused, had to kiss Piper's open lips again as they all but beckoned.

"I don't know if I _can_ stop," she finished.

Piper's head was already reeling, but Alex's words made it spin out of its axis and into orbit. She tried to move her hands again, but the brunette's hands were strongly cuffed around her wrists. She was dimly aware that her pants were being unbuttoned, then felt the cool air wash over her nakedness. She felt slim fingers slide up her thigh, lighting small flames in its wake. Her mind was so hazy she barely caught Alex's words.

"Can you take that?"

"I can take it," she managed. "I'll take it. And you."

She overestimated herself, and passed out after the third orgasm.

* * *

"You should be in a mood more often."

After dimming the lights of the room, Alex chuckled as she wrapped her arms and legs around the blonde, pulling her close. "I don't know what got into me. I just woke up when you came–"

"Which time?" Content, Piper realised their bodies moulded together like a perfect puzzle. "I came multiple times."

Alex snickered and planted a kiss on the back of the blonde's neck. "Thanks to yours truly. I don't know. Something just snapped, I guess."

Her smile dimming, Piper turned around until she was face to face with Alex. "Did something happen at work?"

Alex opened her mouth to answer, then closed it. Not the right time, she thought. Not the right place. "I'll talk to you about it later."

"Don't do that," Piper murmured.

"Do what?"

"Don't close up on me. You can trust me, Alex."

Alex clenched her jaw. "I'm...I–"

She stopped, had to just stop and dig for control. She had never stuttered so badly before. She was Alex Vause, damn it. She was _always_ in control.

"I'm not closing up on you," she said, planting a soft kiss on Piper's nose. "I'll talk to you about it, I promise. After we shower. Which is after another round of hot sex."

Piper felt her colour drain from her face, "Another? But I–you–"

Alex already rolled them over so that she was on top. She leaned down, nibbled on Piper's earlobe, chuckling. "I told you I wouldn't be able to stop."

"Are lesbians always like this?" Piper wondered.

Alex scoffed, leaning on her elbow as she looked down at the flushed blonde. "Pipes, please. As if anyone's better in bed than I am."

"Maybe I should go back to the bar," Piper teased, sliding her arms around Alex's neck. "Find another girl and do a comparison."

"Try that," Alex warned her as she trailed her hand downward, "and suffer the consequences."

Piper arched away from the bed as she was filled. "If this is the punishment, I'll take it."

* * *

After Alex had yet again proved her outstanding vertical skills and another two trips to blissful heaven, Piper fought to keep her eyes open as she brushed her teeth. She could barely muster up the energy to lift the toothbrush to her mouth. She was a walking, utterly spent, zombified sex doll.

And she found out she was totally fine with that.

"So why did you want me to come a day early?" Piper asked.

"Because I missed you," Alex smiled through the curtain of water washing over her. "And I didn't want to sleep alone tonight."

Piper smiled around her toothbrush, oddly comforted by her words and the whole scene. It just seemed so...domestic. They were so comfortable with each other. She didn't think it was possible to reach this level of comfort unless a paper bounded two people together. And even then, she thought.

"Babe, can you get me the towel?" Alex slicked back wet hair as she turned off the shower.

After spitting out a mouth full of water, Piper took the towel from the hook behind the door and crossed the wide room towards the shower. She extended an arm over, thinking of nothing but handing over the towel.

She should've seen the gleam in Alex's eyes.

Alex used the towel to rope Piper closer, then wrapped her wet arms around the blonde. She laughed heartily as Piper squealed like a pig.

"Alex! Damn it, I just—I'm wet again!"

She smirked, "Well, in that case, I should—"

"No." There was no conviction in Piper's voice as she giggled, struggling away. "Uh-uh. Stay away from me. I already came, like—"

She cut herself off when Alex's smug smile widened. "You know what? I'm not even going to feed your ego."

Alex kept her smirk. "I can always appreciate a compliment," she said.

"Nope," Piper declined, popping out the 'p' as she turned to walk back to the bedroom. She pulled off her damp shirt and rummaged through her bag for a new one. Good thing she travelled heavily, she mused. She might as well have packed for a week break rather than just three days.

Thoroughly enjoying herself, Alex began her night routine, starting by brushing her teeth. She tilted slightly to the side, looking out the bathroom door and into the bedroom. Her heart did a little flutter when she caught sight of Piper's behind. God, it's adorable, she thought. And all mine.

Righting herself, she studied her reflection in the mirror. She looked...happy. Her cheeks were tinted with a natural blush she didn't know she had. The bags under her eyes had faded, and she didn't feel the dread of being home weighing her down. For the first time, she actually felt... _at_ home. It wasn't that she was uncomfortable with Sylvie, but with her, Alex had always expected—and was usually right—a fight or an argument. If it wasn't a piss battle, it was Sylvie whining about how they haven't travelled together yet.

A moment of clarity flashed through her mind. Home wasn't a building, she thought. It was a sense of belonging and feeling welcomed by people she cherished. She had always felt that when she was a child. Her mother would have cookies on the table, and she wouldn't ask where she got the money from since she knew she had stolen them from the grocery store nearby. She remembered her mom's anger when she elaborated on Jessica Wedge and her gang of uptight pigs. When her mom hugged her, told her to toughen the fuck up...that was home.

"Pipes—"

Alex paused, her heart swelling at the sight on the bed. Piper was laying down with her cheek on the pillow, her mouth slack with raw exhaustion. It wasn't sexy, she mused, but something about the blonde just tugged at her heartstrings. Without even trying, the woman was already unraveling the tapestry of the cold, unbreakable demeanour she had so carefully crafted.

Grabbing her phone, she left Piper the way she was, slipped out of the room and into the kitchen. She needed a bump, she thought.

The phone rang twice before the other line was picked up, "Hey, baby."

"Hey, mom. Sorry, I know it's late."

"It's all good. I've just come back from work. Was asked to cover Leah's shift since she's having another baby. That's her third one. The kind of stories she'll die with will be fucking ridiculous. Just blood and babies. How does her husband even come inside her anymore? Her pussy must be a fucking cave."

Alex laughed, "Maybe he has a thin dick. Mom, I told you to ask me if you needed money. I can—"

"I don't need your charity, Alex. I have more than enough money to buy myself a fucking island from all the cash you pushed in my bank account."

Alex sighed. She could ram heads with her mother all day long, but she knew she'd eventually be the one to give in. That was just the power of Diane, she mused. "Alright, fine. But I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What?"

Alex bore down on the uneasiness that threatened to creep. "I have a girlfriend."

"Yeah?" Diane wasn't oblivious to the fact that this was the first time her daughter had talked to her about a relationship. Sure, she knew of some, but Alex had never talked openly about them. At least, not until now.

"Yeah. Her name's Piper. Piper Chapman. She's..." Alex's tongue decided to swell up like a blowfish. "She's...nice."

"Well then," Diane tried hard not to laugh. "Since she's nice, I'm sure you guys will last a long time."

"Yeah. She's good. I mean—" Alex pinched the bridge of her nose. She knew she sounded weird and awkward, damn it.

"I sound weird," she said out loud.

"Yeah, you do. How'd you guys meet?"

Through the night and into the early morning, Alex opened herself up to the person she trusted the most. She held nothing back, telling her all the perks and crannies she found appealing about Piper. She made sure to avoid the fact that she was initially a bitch to her best friend. Smiling, she eventually got to talk about how she really felt without stuttering.

"She makes me comfortable," she said carefully. "It's not that I've never felt comfortable with anyone. It's just...I don't know how to handle this...right. I _want_ to handle it right."

After a beat of silence, Diane asked, "Baby, are you in love with her?"

There it is, she thought. The big question of the fucking month. "How am I suppose to know if it's real?" she demanded. "How am I so sure that it's going to last? And how am I suppose to know she'll return it?"

"That's a lot of suppositions, Alex," Diane answered patiently. "To answer them, you don't. It's about taking the risk. It's about taking that leap of faith. You think if I never risked my teen ass going to your father's concert, he wouldn't have picked me? I wore my _heart_ on my sleeve. He would've ended up with a piss poor hooker that night if it wasn't for me. You'll have to find out for yourself if she'll take that leap with you, or be there to catch you."

"What if I'm not strong enough to find out?" Alex murmured.

"Alex," Diane managed to pour all of her love for her daughter into that one word. "When you were young, you were abandoned by your asshole of a father. Then, you found out he had been spiralling down like a fucking toilet flush, and you kept your chin up high. You were raised by a woman who brawled with a huge fucking Black man–who by the way, could've played Luke Cage–because he stole your milk bottle. You stood up against Jessica Wedge and her parents during that school dinner. You didn't even falter and you walked out of that school a fucking hero."

"You will always be more than strong enough to get through anything that fucks with you. You're Alex Vause, baby." Alex heard the grin in her voice. " _You_ are cool."

She was smiling so widely, she barely felt the tears spring up in her eyes. "I love you, mom."

"Love you back. Take the risk, Alex. Take the jump. If you fall flat, then you'll pick yourself back up and push forward because that's just who you are. "

That's just who I am, Alex thought after they said their goodbyes. She'll survive, because that's what she does. She'll take the jump, because she was never afraid. She never took no for an answer, because she was raised to get what she wanted. Her eyes landed on the sleeping figure on her bed.

And this, she smiled secretly, is no exception.


	7. Chapter 7: And Now You're Gay

Piper awoke to the scent of Alex's hair. Blinking, she realised that sometime during the night, they had both moved so that their legs were intertwined. Alex's arm was over the blonde's waist and her own head nestled comfortably in the curve of her lover's shoulder. Her smell was so intoxicating, she thought as she snuggled closer. With one eye open, she glanced at the time. Half past 6.

True to their normal waking hours, her muscles screamed to be stretched. Her attempt to ease out of bed resulted in Alex's arm tightening around her waist. Even as her body cheerfully responded to the touch, she gently nudged her away.

Surfacing, Alex murmured, "What?"

"Sorry," she didn't know why she was whispering. "I wanted to run."

"Run?"

"Just around the block. Just for an hour."

"Time's it?"

"6:33AM."

Alex groaned, her voice still thick with sleep. "This is an ungodly hour of the day. Why do you wake up before eight? It's not humane."

"Sue me. Alex, I have to run."

Alex only tightened her arm, pulling Piper closer and locking her in, "I can think of another exercise you might enjoy."

She supported her proposal as she laid soft kisses behind Piper's shoulder. She continued huskily as her hand slid in the triangle between the blonde's thighs, "I've heard great results about it. Scientists say you can burn 207 calories in 30 minutes. More when you orgasm."

"You're making this up," Piper fought to keep her diminishing resolve.

"Mm-mmm. All true. But in the interest of science...why don't we test it out?" Alex's hand cupped her breast, loving the weight of it in her hand. She's so delicate, she thought. When she felt Piper sigh in defeat, felt her relax against her body, she took advantage of her small victory.

Piper's gasp ended on a moan as she was filled. She thought of nothing but the slick pleasure that wracked her body. The pleasure that Alex was giving her. She was shocked to find out her system could wake up so fast as she felt all her nerves shimmer and sizzle.

Piper gripped her lover's shoulder for balance. She was helpless, and she knew it. She knew it, and it thrilled her. It thrilled her to know she could be taken like this, that she could feel so used—and _love_ it. The heat, the furnace that roared between them, flooded her senses until she could barely cry out in sinful yet stunning pleasure.

* * *

"Isn't there a rule about not looking better than the hostess?" Alex grinned as she wrapped her arms around Piper's waist, kissing her ear.

"You're looking pretty ravishing yourself." Piper pressed her lips together to spread her lipstick. She protested when she felt hands splayed over her stomach.

"Al, I need to get ready."

"You could've been ready an hour ago if you didn't insist on running. Sex _is_ an exercise, Pipes."

"My thighs say otherwise."

Alex chuckled. She set her hands on Piper's hips and turned her around. Her smile widened when she was granted a sight to behold. How could she have insecurities? she wondered. She could easily pass for a Greek goddess. People should be falling to their knees in prayer and admiration wherever she walked. _She_ should be on her knees, she mused. Because her girlfriend looked enchanting and just because she _can_ , she took Piper's lips in hers.

She poured all her praises into the kiss, hoping to wash away all of her lover's doubts. She wanted to be the one to make her feel like a queen. When they changed angles, she sought deeper. She needed her to know how far she'd fallen. She fell so fast, she mused.

Sighing, Alex lingered, then pulled away. "You're beautiful, Pipes."

Piper struggled to clear her head. Her arms were limp as melted wax and her legs threatened to give. What was _that_? She had never been kissed so...powerfully, before. She didn't know what to think. "I feel beautiful when you look at me," she murmured.

Alex's green eyes flared in recognition. Then I'll keep looking, she thought. She smiled, leaned forward and planted a final kiss on her lover's neck before easing away. "I gotta check on the drinks. I'll see you out there, okay?"

"Mm-hmm. Save me a glass," she said as Alex sailed out of the bedroom.

Alone, she allowed herself to critically look at her appearance in the mirror. She was nowhere near Alex's level, she knew, but she looked good enough to earn the spot by Alex's side. She wondered if Alex was going to introduce her as her girlfriend, before realising she didn't actually know any of her lover's friends. She remembered Sylvie shouting that _she_ had given Alex a social life.

What if Piper had taken that away too?

She shook her head, dismissing the thought. She mustn't think like that. It was Alex's decision to leave Sylvie. She didn't do anything more than show the brunette what she was missing.

Piper was putting final touches on her makeup when her phone rang. She rushed over, a difficult feat in heels, fished her phone out of her bag and answered.

"Polly! Hi, where are you?"

"Hey Piper, I'm just trying to find parking. The whole _street_ is filled. All the cars are like, top brand too. How the hell did you score a girl in a rich neighbourhood?"

Piper felt her stomach begin to drop. The whole street? she repeated silently. "Beats me. I'll see you at the house then?"

"Wait, wait. I called to ask, pie or wine?"

"...What?"

"As a...well, it's not really a _gift_ gift. I felt weird not showing up without bringing something so I brought two safe choices.

Piper had to laugh, "The wine should work. I'll see you soon."

She clicked off and brushed her hair away from her face. Taking one last look in the mirror, she took one deep breath before sailing out the door.

It looked more like a royal dinner than a house party, she thought immediately. Dark red carpet covered the wooden floor, matching the curtains that draped over the tall, glass windows. There was a long buffet table covered with a white tablecloth with small swirls at the hem. The room smelled faintly of finger food and expensive perfume. The twang of guitars sounded faintly from the stereo.

Piper saw Alex by the door, air kissing the coming guests. She caught her eye, saw the flirtatious wink before she shifted her attention back to the person in front of her. Damn, Piper mused, there goes her heart. She walked to the kitchen, and was happily surprised when a man in a suit came up to her with a tray full of filled glasses.

"A drink, m'am?"

Piper grinned and took a glass, "Don't mind if I do."

The wine tasted sweet, with a little bit of a kick. She took another sip, and let her eyes wander around. The conversation buzz began to pick up as more people poured into the house. She watched in amusement as three women made a beeline for the buffet table, starting their feast with the fried pickle chips. She found Alex again, but she wasn't by the door this time. She was laughing at something the man in front of her said. The man's guffaw was heard from across the room.

"Piper!"

She swivelled to her right, smiled brightly as she recognised her friend. "Polly! You made it."

So that's what she looks like when I'm not in the picture, Alex thought as she studied the duo over her friend's shoulder.

"Why wouldn't I come?" Polly picked a Lentil Meatball off a plate and popped it in her mouth. "This place is amazing. I mean, have you seen the buffet? And they have those snooty waiters that wander around."

Piper laughed, looking at the servers. "They're not snooty."

"You'd say that. The whole thing looks like something your mom would plan."

Piper must've looked stricken, since Polly hurriedly added, "But less uptight. By a long shot."

Piper pushed through the ugly thoughts she just had about her family's parties. "Absolutely."

"How _is_ your mom? Have you told her you decided to join the 'other team'?"

"'The other team'?" Piper's eyes glittered in amusement as she faced Polly. "Seriously?"

"I don't know if you're keeping it a secret or not."

"Neither do I," Piper admitted. "But no, I haven't talked to her. Haven't told her or Dad or Danny or Cal anything about my life for the past week, and I think it's doing me a _lot_ of good. I should keep up this family moratorium."

"You know she'll call you by at least tomorrow," Polly told her.

"Probably. But I don't have to answer it."

"Remember when you did that and she nearly sued the university for not knowing where you were when she called the office lady?"

Piper snorted, "God, that was so _stupid_. You'd think I got kidnapped."

Polly laughed with her, "You might as well have been. She was probably this close to calling the cops." She brought her pointer and thumb together.

"I was very much enjoying my first make-out session to care about meeting curfew and calling my mother like a twelve year old."

"And now you're gay."

Piper simply grinned in response.

"Speaking of, which one's Alex?"

She looked around, then indicated to the brunette, who had moved to another group. "That one," she said. "Tall, black hair, glasses."

Polly squinted, "Wow."

Piper nodded in total understanding, "Yeah."

"She looks like someone who threw crazy parties everyday when she was a kid."

Piper chuckled, "She was probably the popular lesbian and everyone basically went gay for her or something."

"You guys haven't had the childhood talk yet?"

She hid a sly grin in her drink, "We haven't had much time for talking."

"Oh." Polly made a disgusted face, laughing after. "Was it angel-weeping-melodic-violin-in-the-background or was it jungle-drumming-swinging-from-chandelier?"

Piper's immediate instinct was the second option, but reconsidered. Alex had her moments when her touch was so unbelievably tender that she felt almost honoured to be with her. She takes care, Piper thought, of her. Her soft touch made her yearn for more, despite having already taken everything Alex had to offer. But then there were times where the brunette had dominated Piper's body and mind, blown everything to bits until she was left happily struggling for air.

"Bit of both," she decided. There was at least some truth to that. She was uncertain as to how deep her feelings ran, but she was willing to find out...if Alex takes the first step.

Polly laid a knowing hand on Piper's arm. She knew the thoughtful look that passed Piper's face meant that this—whatever gay thing _this_ was—was something more than just a fling. "Okay." She thought of a fast way to break the tension, "Hey, where's the bathroom? I've been dying to pee ever since I left the house."

Piper used her hand to point to a corridor, "That way, second door on your right."

"Thanks. Lady Nature calls," Polly hurried off.

Alex watched as the smaller woman rushed away. Excusing herself from the boring conversation she was pretending to have, she picked up a corked wine bottle from the table before moving to Piper. Her heart soared when Piper all but glowed at the sight of the brunette. She grinned and leaned forward to plant a kiss on her cheek, lingering when she caught her comforting scent of peaches.

"Enjoying yourself?" she asked.

Piper smiled up at her, "I am. I—"

She noticed the big bottle Alex was holding. Her eyebrows winged up. "I said to save me a glass, not a whole bottle."

"A glass isn't going to get you drunk enough tonight."

Piper matched her lover's smirk with one of her own, "Why do you want to get me drunk?"

Alex's smile promised of dangerous pleasure. She lifted the bottle, preparing to uncork it. Piper leaned back instinctively and squealed when she heard the _pop_ of the cork. Little pellets of bubbles sprayed on her face. Wiping them with the back of her hand, she managed to get a small taste, "Mmm. Oh, that's good."

Grinning, Alex poured a glass, "It's a party," she said, handing the drink to Piper.

"I feel like...I'm playing house."

Alex chuckled as she poured herself a glass. She rose a suggestive brow, "You wanna play doctor instead?"

"This place is _insane_ ," Polly piped up from behind the blonde, another wineglass in hand.

Alex drank the glass in one go and kept a friendly smile on her face as she clinked the wine bottle to Piper's glass. "Cheers," she toasted.

"Cheers."

She clinked the bottle with Polly's glass, "Great to meet you, Holly."

She was taking a swig from the bottle when she was corrected, "It's...Polly, actually."

Dismissing the offence, she nodded, "Right. Polly Hobbie."

She chuckled before suddenly noticing Fahri behind her, a drink–probably vodka–in hand. Her smile wavered, but remained on her face as she excused herself from the two. Weaving through the small crowd, she reached him as he was taking another sip.

"Quite a party," he commented.

"Being in vogue has its benefits. Might as well give people what they want, right?"

He angled towards her, "Vogue?"

"Yeah. Business. Fashion thing."

He laughed, but sobered pretty quickly. "I need to speak with you."

"I have an office. Just this way," she said, walking away and stealing a few minutes to compose herself. She opened the door, closing it when Fahri strolled in. Cautiously, she watched as he made his way towards her chair, reaching out to feel its smooth, leather texture.

"Beautiful," he commented.

"Thank you."

He looked at her pointedly, and turned the chair slightly as he moved to sit down. "You're doing well."

"I am." Alex was aware she was being short and blunt, but she couldn't seem to stop herself.

With a possessive hand on the arm of the chair, he looked up at Alex, who made her hands busy with the wine bottle. "We'd like to increase your input," he stated.

"I'm always curious about who 'we' is," she chuckled nervously, desperately trying to break through the awkwardness. "Is that like when 'they' say that fur faux vests are in this season, you know what I mean?"

His expression straight and sombre, he replied, "No, I don't know what you mean."

Alex pressed her lips together. That didn't last very long, she mused. "How much?"

"100,000. A month."

Flabbergasted, Alex stuttered. "Wh—Jesus!"

"What can I say?" Smug, Fahri leaned back. "We're back in vogue. Give the people what they want."

Alex heard her own words be thrown back at her and bit back a snort. She continued the business talk, "Well—I'm gonna need more kids. And more cash upfront for treats."

Fahri shrugged, a dismissing gesture of a man used to having what was needed. "Whatever you need," he said. "As always. Kubra will be happy to hear. We value your position in this organisation."

Alex had to laugh at the formality, "Glad I'm not expandable," she toasted her wine bottle, "Cheers."

She was chugging a fair amount of the wine when Fahri asked bluntly, "Who was that girl?"

She swallowed audibly before responding. She didn't have to ask who he was referring to. There would only be one 'that girl' in her life. "Piper Chapman," she answered.

"Who is she?"

"I met her last week. She's...she's my girlfriend."

Maintaining a straight face despite the barrage of questions that zoomed through his mind, Fahri picked one in particular, "Will she be trouble?"

Alex decided she didn't like the tone in his voice. She matched his implied venom as she lowered her own voice, "She knows about me. I trust her."

"You seem to trust more easily nowadays, Alex. It could be dangerous."

"My trust is rarely misplaced, Fahri. I trust her," she repeated as she unconsciously tightened her grip on the wine bottle. She allowed herself one happy moment as she imagined smashing the bottle against his stupid overly V-shaped hairline.

Fahri stood, "Why don't you introduce me to her?"

Clear surprise flashed over her face before she could regain composure, "What? Why?"

"I'm not just your boss," he said, his tone lighter. "I'm your friend. And I'd like to meet your girlfriend, since this is the first time I've ever heard you use the word."

Alex nodded wearily, "Let me just go get her."

"I'll meet you outside. I just have a phone call to make."

She nodded, turned around and made a beeline for Piper, who was laughing heartily with Polly by the buffet table. Piper's eyes glimmered as she saw Alex, "Hey! We were—"

"I need to talk to you."

"Oh. Okay. Polly—"

"Sorry, Holly." Alex was already dragging Piper away, her hand tightening around her lover's wrist as she pulled her to the window.

"What's wrong?" Piper's face clouded with worry. "Are you in trouble? And who was that guy earlier?"

"That was my boss. He wants to meet you."

Piper raised her eyebrows. She wasn't scared of meeting Alex's boss. She was more confused as to why her lover seemed so anxious about the meet up. She decided to address the issue upfront. "Okay. And why are you so worried about it?"

"I'm not," Alex responded a little too quickly. "It's just...you're the first girl I've introduced to anyone in the ring. I don't really know what that implies."

In her peripheral view, she saw Fahri stepping out of the office. "Okay," she said, more for her fraying confidence than reassuring Piper. "He's here. Let's go."

"Don't worry, Alex. I won't ruin your reputation as a badass."

"It's not that I'm worried about," she muttered as they made their way to Fahri, who stood with a practiced smile on his face. Alex kept a protective arm around Piper's waist when they reached him. "Piper, this is Fahri. He's the one who got me into the whole nine miles of illegal activity."

Piper smiled in cautious greeting, "Hello."

"Piper Chapman," he lifted his glass in acknowledgement. "It's nice to finally meet you."

She kept her smile in place, tilting her head. "Finally?"

"Sure. Alex here," he smiled at the brunette, "has been talking non-stop about you for a week now."

Piper's smile split into a grin as she looked up at Alex. "Has she?"

Picking up on the lie, Alex smiled and planted a kiss on Piper's temple, "Of course. What's not to talk about?"

"You're a university student, yes?"

Piper turned back to Fahri, "Yes. Graduated with a double degree in comparative literature and communications. I...have a thing for books."

"Someone mentions books, I'm immediately attracted."

All parties turned their heads to see Kubra walk towards them, an uncharacteristically charismatic smile on his face. He had his arms wide open, palms out. He walked to Fahri first, exchanging a manly hug before turning to the two women.

Alex forced herself to relax and smiled winningly. "Piper," she said, "this is Kubra."

Piper automatically picked up on Alex's uneasiness. Without thinking, she blurted, "Oh, you're the kingpin."

She belatedly realised her mistake when she felt Alex stiffen beside her. Her lover's grip around her waist tightened, and the party's indistinct chatter seemed to fade away into the distance. She had a ridiculous millisecond to think that she'd die here, with everyone watching. Both women nearly jumped out of their skin when they heard a booming laugh come from Kubra.

"I'd like to be known more as a businessman than a kingpin," he grinned. "That 'kingpin' title never sat well with me. It sounds childish."

Piper all but grabbed at the offered lifeline, "That's true. So. Um. You like books?"

"I think this is a conversation better conducted on a couch, no?" Without looking back, Kubra moved to an empty couch by a window. Piper, Alex and Fahri followed like a sheep following their shepherd.

When he sat, he continued, "You strike me more as a Shakespeare person."

Piper settled herself down, her fingers intertwined in Alex's. "I can appreciate Shakespeare. I'm more of a Margaret Atwood admirer."

"'If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.'"

"That's Leo Tolstoy," she told him. "I like 'War is what happens when language fails.'".

Alex bit the inside of her cheek to stop from laughing. Piper was the first person–besides Fahri–she knew to blatantly correct Kubra. She did it with little thought too, she realised. Like she was talking to a fellow colleague instead of a merciless druglord. She exchanged glances with Fahri, who hid his smile with a sip from his drink. Alex smiled back and visibly loosened, relaxing against the soft cushions.

"You're admiring a feminist?" Kubra inquired.

Piper sipped from her glass before responding, "Atwood doesn't consider herself a feminist. People just _assume_ she's a feminist because she mostly favours powerful, engaging, female roles, like Lady Macbeth or the Queen from Snow White. She believes that women are full human beings that are not being represented enough in politics. And when someone asked her about gender equality, she just had this way of...of explaining that the unhappiness in society comes from our _very_ _effort_ of distinguishing between equality and equity, you know?"

Kubra, who had been smiling from the first sentence, toasted his glass in defeat. "It would seem," he said, "that I have just been educated on society and literature."

Alex felt a quick little twist of pride. "Isn't she great?" she grinned before leaning over to kiss Piper's cheek.

Fahri wasn't sure whether to applaud or laugh. He decided to do neither, and mimicked Kubra's toast of acknowledgement, "Learned more the past few minutes than I did in boarding school," he said.

Piper blushed and turned towards Alex, "I didn't mean to sound educated and up tight," she whispered.

The brunette reassured her with a kiss, "You didn't. You looked beautiful."

"I did?"

"Are you sure you don't want to play doctor now?" She lowered her voice, "I think you're looking a little red."

Piper giggled, shaking her head. "It would be rude to just leave, Al. You can check my pulse later."

Behind Alex, Fahri spoke casually, "It's a shame you're leaving this one for a week, Alex."

Alex's laughter dried up like a drop of water in a desert. Her body froze. Her eyes immediately sought Piper's, watched in despair as a confused frown formed between her eyebrows. Piper's eyes darted between hers and Fahri's before eventually landing on him. Words and explanations formed in her head, but they couldn't get through the barrier that clogged her tightening throat.

Piper was the first to speak, "I'm sorry?"

"Didn't you hear? Alex is going to Brazil next month."

"No," Piper spoke firmly, keeping an easy smile on her face as she looked at Alex. "No, I didn't hear. But it's good to know. Excuse me."

She pushed off the couch, still keeping that loose smile as she walked towards the bedroom, using all of her willpower to slowly close the door instead of slamming it hard enough the hinges break. Alex pushed the heel of her hand to her forehead, like she was trying to push away the headache that happily skipped to the front of her brain. Fuck, she fumed. Fuck fuck _fuck_.

"So much for trust, Alex," Fahri sipped from his glass, amused and unapologetic. "You didn't tell her."

She didn't have the energy to snap back. Instead, she let out a long, windy sigh. "No. No, I didn't."

 _Shit_.

* * *

A/N: I had absolutely no idea how motivating and riveting reviews are until these past few ones came up. To those that ask why I don't get much reviews, I honestly don't know xD It doesn't really bother me much, as long as people are reading my work, I'm more than happy to keep posting. Don't get me wrong though, reviews are worth a million ;) So thank you a bunch to those who took time to do so; I appreciate it more than Taystee appreciated her King Cone.

Guests: IM HAPPY YOU LOVED DIANE! She was a fun time to write. Also, yeah I think my summary is a little bit dull, so I'll work on rewriting that as soon as I can. And again: thank you so much for helping me out with the reviews ^.^ I adore you all.

Jupiter: I'm glad you're enjoying it! And yeah, I see what you mean, my process of thinking is that since the show focuses on Piper, I might delve a little deeper into Alex's POV. But I'll be sure to write through Piper's POV the next few chapters, so stay in tune for that :)

littlekittybangbang: Honestly, I love writing Alex's vulnerable moments. I think that's one of my stronger suits, so I'm really glad you loved it! Appreciate the awesome awesome support :)

WB79: I hope I get to touch on all of the possibilities before the story reaches the prison! Glad I gave you something to binge on ^.^ That's great to hear.

Guests: It's here! I hope it was worth the wait :) And I'm hella glad you enjoy it.

To the guests: Make sure you get yourself a name so I can specifically address you D: I love talking to people. But anyways, as always, I hope you guys enjoyed, and I will see you all in a few chapters. xx


	8. Chapter 8: I Promise You

Piper stormed around the room like an angry toddler. She was _not_ some trophy to be boasted. Her hands began to shake with bubbling anger as she yanked off her heels with terrifying force. She was _not_ someone you could leave home and expect to sit by idly like a spinning top as the world turned around her. She wasn't a fucking 1940's housewife that bellowed 'When will my husband return from war?'

 _Fuck_ that.

Heat flushed her face as she stomped to the bathroom. She'd be damned if Alex expected her to wait around like a loyal dog. You'd think after all this time she'd trust me, she fumed.

But that was her mistake.

She didn't know anything about Alex. All she really knew was she had a crazy ex-girlfriend, a grand house, an absolute phenomenon in bed and knew how to traffic drugs across the world like the back of her hand. Those are all material things, she thought as she cupped her hands under the running tap before splashing her face with cold, refreshing water. She didn't know—not really—anything about the brunette. She didn't know if Alex chose wine over beer. Or if she'd rather a sunset or a sunrise. Or if she'd rather Zara or Mango.

Damn it, she didn't know _anything_.

She heard a spike of noisy conversations and music before being re-muffled behind the bedroom door. Closing the tap, her temper flared as she walked out of the bathroom, crossed her arms, dug her nails in as Alex walked to the bed and took a deep, steadying breath. Their eyes met, a sizzle of lightning, before the brunette began to cautiously make her way towards her like a negotiator.

She wasn't a grenade either, Piper thought furiously. She was a fucking nuclear time bomb.

"Look, Piper, it's only for a week. Maybe less. You won't even know I left."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" she demanded.

"I—" Alex fought to make her words coherent. "I wanted to. I swear. I was going to tell you yesterday but we were in bed and I didn't want to ruin anything—"

"And what did you expect me to do when you leave?" Piper pushed past her to the other side of the room.

Alex began, "I wanted you to wait—"

She had never seen someone go from simmer to boil so fast. Piper's hands blurred as she grabbed anything she can from the nearby cabinet and hurled it towards her. She had to give the blonde credit for her aim, and praised the heavens for her own quick reflexes as a lamp whistled by her head before it crashed into the wall. The sudden jerk of movement caused her glasses to fall amongst the debris.

"Jesus!"

"You conceited, manipulative bitch!" If Piper was a cartoon, her ears would be bellowing smoke. "You think I'm going to wait for you? How delusional can you be? Son of a fuck!"

She grabbed the orb she once found endearing and let it fly.

"Piper—"

"I am _done_ with you." Frantically, she looked for more innocent furniture to throw and snagged a bowl of fake fruit. The plastic apples went first. "I can't fucking believe you!"

Oranges. "Why did I even _sleep_ with you?"

Pears. "How can I be so _stupid_!"

Grapes. "I don't even _know_ you!"

Then the bowl. "You fucking liar!"

Instead of dodging the bowl like she had the rest, Alex caught it before it beaned her face. "Okay, enough." She made a dive, wrapped her arms over Piper's and pinned them on her body.

"Let go of me! You think you can just leave me like I'm some kind of—"

"Let me explain!"

"You had a full twenty-four hours to explain. Time's up, game's over. Let go of me, damn it!" She struggled, beating Alex's already abused body with more kicks and punches. But instead of fuelling the flames, her body began to react in a whole different manner.

Alex felt it too as she heaved and pinned the blonde on the bed. "Piper," she murmured. "Pipes, _please_."

Piper told herself she stopped only because she was rapidly running out of breath and not the exhausted defeat in Alex's voice.

The room was silent but for their heavy breathing. Piper's head began to catch up with her actions, but regret was not with it. She was becoming acutely aware that Alex's hand was near her breast. She sighed when she felt the fight leave her being.

"Get off me, Alex."

Warily, Alex eased off the blonde and sat on the side of the bed. Threading her fingers through her hair, she allowed herself to recognise the panic and hurt that speared through her when Piper was throwing...well, everything. She had hurled words and plastic fruit, but Alex wasn't aware how sharp they actually were until she assessed the damage. Piper deserved an explanation, she thought. And when she's done explaining, she'd leave her to decide whether to leave or stay.

Alex took Piper's silence as a sign that she was willing to listen. She didn't turn towards her, but instead kept her eyes on the wall. She wanted to hide the hurt. She didn't want Piper to know how much she meant to her. Not yet.

"Travelling had always been one of the requirements for the job," she began, unconsciously tightening and loosening her fingers together. "I never really had anything to pin me down at home, so I always agreed to it." She felt like she needed to underline that it was her decision to travel.

She knew that choice was always important.

"I travelled, made sure the deals and imports were handled smoothly. Recruited more mules in other countries. I was always happier when I wasn't in the States. I didn't care much about anything here. But now, _you're_ in the picture."

That was the whole problem, wasn't it? Piper's here, and she had turned Alex's world upside down...yet she became the gravity that kept everything in place.

"I told you before," she continued, "I don't know the rules of being in a relationship. I look out for myself—always have. And having someone—having you—be there when I get home changes things. A lot."

"It sounds like I'm more a nuisance than comfort," Piper murmured, her legs crossed and her ears and heart wide open.

"No. You're consistent. And I've never had that before," Alex lifted her shoulders, then let them fall. "I'd like to keep it, Pipes."

Just like that, Piper felt her resolve give way. She reached for Alex, turned the brunette around and wrapped her arms her shoulders. "I'm not going anywhere," she murmured against her lover's shoulder.

Staying silent, Alex hugged back. As she smelled Piper's all-too-familiar scent, relief washed through her like a waterfall. She's staying, she thought giddily. Without qualms or demands. She _understood._ She was staying for _her_. Her hands smoothed over Piper's back, as if memorising the small bumps and ridges. She basked in the feeling of being in her arms.

If she thought her heart had been slipping, it now tumbled, fell and face-planted hard into love.

She remembered what her mother had told her. Take the leap. She was still hesitant to do so, and will continue to be until it was certain that Piper returned the feeling. As she burrowed closer into the blonde, she decided she'll have to find out before she left for Bali.

The two women held on tightly, unaware that their thoughts mirrored each other.

Piper pulled back, framed her lover's face with both hands. She watched in glee as the stormy seas in her eyes began to calm. Leaning forward, she laid her lips, unhurriedly, on Alex. She felt her give, and she herself took. She was careful not to take more than she was given. When Alex changed angles, she was pulled under a hazy mist of lust and pleasure.

She fought, struggled as she pulled back, wanting to see Alex's eyes again. Calm, magic seas now, she thought, but with clouds of doubt sailing through. She wanted to make them go away. She tilted Alex's head up, making sure their eyes connected before she continued.

"No more secrets, okay?"

Alex nodded solemnly, "Okay."

"And we're going on a date."

"What?"

"A date," Piper repeated with a decisive tone. "Conversations and wine by the candlelight in a restaurant that priced their food as if Jesus had touched it."

"I'll pay," Alex said immediately.

Piper had to smile, "I have no problem with that, since payday isn't until Thursday."

"How about tomorrow night?" Alex ruthlessly exterminated the fluttering butterflies that filled her stomach.

"Fine by me."

"Does this make us fuck buddies?"

"It means we're going on a date. Do things normal people do."

"Do you want normal?" she asked quietly. She was at the opposite of the spectrum from normal.

Piper lowered her eyes. She thought it was what she wanted. She was supposed to grow old, maybe pop out two kids, contribute to the upbringing of the deteriorating American society. Make her parents proud and happy with a steady income and a reliable husband that came home every night to a domestic household. But now she realised that wasn't what she wanted after all. She wanted fun and adventure and sex and everything that the world had to offer. And she wanted to share that experience.

"No," she answered. "I want you."

Alex said nothing but plant kisses all over Piper's face. She was humbled by her words. Her hands instinctively gripped the blonde's hair, nipped at her lip before soothing it with a soft lick. She could taste the twang of sweet wine on her tongue as it battled with her own, a blend of flavours that made her yearn for another taste.

Alex pushed her down on the bed, against the cushions. She'll show her, she thought. If she couldn't say it, she'll just have to show her love. Alex trailed down Piper's throat, breasts, navel and finally settled in between her thighs. All too fast, she had grown accustomed to Piper's scent. It was pleasantly strong, and it gave her immense pride that _she_ had made her this wet.

Piper bowed her back as she felt pleasure shoot up her body. She cried out as she was filled, ravaged and drowned in a sea of unbelievable pleasure. _Fuck_ , she sighed, her fingers gripping onto the mass of dark hair below her like an anchor.

Her fingers still inside her lover's, Alex rose and latched on to Piper's lips, begging her to see what she was showing her. All she could muster was, "Don't go anywhere."

"I'm not going anywhere. I promise you." Piper gasped as she neared the edge. "I _promise_ you. I'm here."

She tipped over as she breathed out her vow, letting the darkness overwhelm her.

* * *

With the morning sun's rays filtering through the blinds, Alex reached for her phone as it buzzed. She vaguely made out the name and message on the screen.

 _Fahri: You owe me. People were assholes._

She smiled, setting the phone back down on the nightstand. She had lost her patience with the party and begged him to get people out when Piper stormed off. He was the only one she knew that could do so with little problems. She turned back towards Piper's warm body as she thought of ways to give him her thanks.

Her thoughts began to wander off as her hand made lazy circles on Piper's back. She'll have to work early today so she could be home with Piper as soon as possible. She needed to double check on mules and the bank accounts. She needed to transfer money for the Bali trip. As her brain continued to list her jobs for the morning, she slowly eased out of bed, careful not to wake the sleeping beauty.

Getting ready for the day felt like a chore, which was strange, considering she had always counted herself lucky to be able to do this job. Using the mirror by the front door, she drew on her mascara like a warrior drew on war paint. Fierce. Unstoppable.

Until you, she mused as she saw Piper watched sleepily from the bedroom door. She caught her eyes in the mirror and smiled, her happiness flowing free. She found that she didn't need to be tough around Piper. She could drop the sword and the shield and be a normal civilian. It was just instinct to shield her from her line of work, and that was why she hesitated to tell her about Bali.

"Going somewhere?" Piper asked.

"Yeah, I have work to do." It didn't go unnoticed to Alex that Piper had stiffened slightly. She hoped to God it wasn't the blonde's undiscovered clinginess rising to the surface. It would just be unfortunate for all parties if she loved a leech.

"I'll be back for our date." She moved towards her, wrapping her arms around Piper's waist and nuzzled her bare neck. "Do I have to pick you up?"

God, maybe _she_ was the clingy one.

Piper smiled. "You asked me to stay the weekend, remember?"

Alex felt her lips bow up in response and nodded.

"Then I'll be here."

Alex pressed her lips to Piper's. "I'm certain that we won't even make it out the door."

"Oh, don't worry. We are _having_ this date."

Alex laughed and stole another kiss before sailing out, already thinking of a venue for the night.

Piper tapped her finger to her lips, memorising the sweet taste of her lover. She turned around to walk back to the bed when she stepped on the plastic apple. Amused, she picked up the stray fruits and the fruit bowl, placing them back on top of the cabinet. She walked back for the orb and placed it carefully where it belonged. She went back to the bed, slid in, and all but wrapped herself in Alex's scent.

Remnants of last night began to play back through her head like a film reel. She wasn't blind; she'd seen what was in Alex's eyes. She saw her heart in there. And Piper saw her world.

But she didn't want to assume—at least, not until they had this date.

She wanted her. That much was obvious. She often found herself staring into space as she thought of what Alex would—and could—do to her. She thought about her face, the sharp angles that gave her lover the endearing fuck-you-all look. Her hair, her smirk, her body; everything about her literally _oozed_ sex.

But she would never settle on just sex and physical attraction. She had always wanted a partner in crime—although she didn't think she would ever get involved in actual criminal activity. She wanted to be understood and to understand. She wanted someone to take care of her, and she would take care of them. And, Piper included as she breathed deeply, she wanted that someone to be Alex.

* * *

Much later in the afternoon, Piper hummed to herself, straightening the bed when her phone buzzed.

 _Polly: I couldn't find you before I had to leave. Sorry!_

 _Piper: Don't worry, that's my fault. Went to bed without saying goodbye_

 _Polly: Sick?_

 _Piper: No I was tired._

 _Polly: At least you got laid. Pete wasn't even home_

 _Piper: Where was he?_

 _Polly: Was out drinking with his Australian buddies. But I hope you're not tired next weekend_

Piper frowned in consideration before she replied.

 _Piper: What's happening next weekend?_

 _Polly: God, did you really forget again?_

She frantically racked her brain for an important event she was apparently forgetting. Was someone getting married? Having a baby? God, was she forgetting a funeral?

 _Piper: ?_

 _Polly: What date is it today_

 _Piper: June 1_

 _Polly: And what date is it on Saturday?_

 _Piper: June 7_

Oh. Oh, shit. Oh, man.

 _Piper: Fuck._

* * *

 _A/N:_

Guests: Thank you so much for reading! Also woo! OG reader! I'm glad you're enjoying and I hope it continues to be worth the wait.

Professor Wolfie: I've had that in my head ever since I began writing. I made a vague plan for that, which will come into effect once the trip around the world and the 10 year break up comes. Then comes all the small scenes that I have in mind when they get to prison. I'm still building myself some confidence on my own scenes; this chapter is a toe in the water. Thank you heaps for reading and the suggestion, hope you enjoyed! :)

black mamba: I'm so happy you're enjoying it! Thank you so much for reading. :)

OITNBReader: Thank YOU for reading! Glad you enjoyed.

izzielg: xD it's no problem, but thanks for the review! Thanks heaps for reading and enjoying.

ThePlatinumLlama: What a great username. Also, I'm glad I gave you a first impression of the Vauseman ship :) Enjoy your stay!

Librarybook: Yeah, I get what you mean by the 'what if' scenes in Vauseman. I just had to address it and put my spin to it xD Thank you for reading!

Golive: That's what I was aiming for. I figured that the other characters need more background as well, and since they connect to Alex and Piper, they deserve it. However, I, on the other hand, can't wait for the Paris scene. I hope to break hearts and turn on water pumps. Thanks for reading!

ManveerLovesVauseman: Alex and Piper's relationship will be dictated by the writers of the show. (I just hope they don't suddenly throw in a flashback that will just flip this story on its head xD) Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9: Would You Rather A Woman?

"...and I managed to get the twins from next door as well. You'll like them. Their mother needs some serious help with raising those two. They dress in grimy overalls, and the two dogs don't help. Did I tell you about the time they tried climbing up my tree so they could get their stupid frisbee back? One nearly fell when I basically scared the daylights out of them. Would've served him right, if I do say so myself. Then there was that other time where they were throwing stones at cans. That's another story, but they are just insufferable. But, for Saturday—"

"I can't go."

"What do you mean you can't go?"

Piper felt her nails scrape an artery, "I just can't."

"You can't not come home, Piper." The other person on the call had an incredulous tone, and she could all but hear the eye roll that accompanied it. "Especially not on your birthday. I already hired the caterers. I already invited the family over for lunch and dinner."

You mean you invited _your_ friends over, Piper thought.

"I just forgot, okay? It's not a big deal. It's not like I won't have another birthday next year."

"Well, as God may have it. You know, that's what one of the women in the club said, and now look. Turning in her grave, bless her. You can't just skip a year, Piper. Every year is important, you have to celebrate it."

Sighing, Piper leaned her head on the cold window, watched as bumpers kissed bumpers on the chaotic road of the suburb. She could see the wind blowing through the bushes of Alex's neighbour. She heard the roar of a leaf blower, the cough of a broken car, and thought them to be the most domestic sounds she'd ever heard.

"I can't go, Mom."

She had been on the phone for what felt like hours. Fulfilling Polly's predictions, her mother had called soon after she woke, chirpy about next weekend's extravagant events. Except to Piper, it was more dull, boring and immensely formal. It had been that way for as long as she could remember; and no matter how many tears she'd shed, no matter how many tantrums she'd thrown, she never got a party with a clown and games. Carol told her it was improper and 'below-our-level' to entertain such _civilian_ activity.

She was almost sure Carol had paid other parents to force their kids to attend her parties.

"I just don't understand. What do you even have planned? You never plan for anything in your life, what's got your attention this time?"

Piper gaped, " _This_ time? What the hell does that mean?"

"Language," Carol said mildly. "I mean, last I heard from you, you were looking for a _waitressing_ job."

"So?"

Carol sighed, "Honey, if you had asked, I would've called some of my friends to see if they had an opening in one of their offices. I mean, I'm sure your father would gladly take you in as well."

And that would just add to the list of things you'd hold over my head for the rest of my life, Piper thought.

"I got a job," she said.

"Good for you, honey!" Her mother's voice rose up in pitch. "As what?"

"A waitressing job."

Piper heard a click of a tongue and seethed silently. "Oh, Piper, for goodness sake."

"I'm moving up on the world, Mom. I don't need your charity."

"It is not charity, Piper. I'm just trying to help you, maybe introduce you to some more friends in the party—"

"I _said_ I'm not going."

"How ungrateful can you be?" Carol's temper licked at the surface. "I did all of this—"

"I didn't want you to do any of it!" she exploded. "I never asked you to throw a big fucking party—"

"Language!"

"—and celebrate my birthday every year like I'm turning 18 again. I didn't ask you to and I didn't want you to. You only do this for yourself so you can pretend how close our relationship is, and show off all the new shit you got from God knows what. And I don't want to be in this charade as much as I hate coming home. So if you'll fucking excuse me," she swore just to spite her mother, smiled grimly at the audible gasp she'd heard, "I'm not coming on Saturday."

She jabbed her finger to end the call as she heard the beginnings of a what—or maybe it was a wait. She didn't care. She punched in another number and waited for the other line to pick up.

"Piper!"

"Cal." She had to smile as her heart lightened. It was always soothing to hear her brother's voice. They had gone through the shit childhood together—along with Danny—and knew the parodies their mother could get into. They were basically the main duo of the family, working together like a well-oiled machine. He had given her her first taste of the forbidden alcohol, and she had given him his first black eye when he'd eaten her ice cream cone.

Least to say, they were close.

"I just wanted to ask," she continued. "Did Mom call you?"

She heard a snort. "Why would she do that? I'm basically outcasted, remember? Not even in the long, long list for Christmas gifts."

She clenched her jaw. Carol didn't even call Cal, she fumed, and she said she called the _family_? "Don't worry," she said through gritted teeth.

"Was she planning your birthday again?"

She knew she could rely on him to remember her birthday and the shit their mother pulled in the past. "Yep."

"Man, I'm sorry. Shit sucks. Want some good news?"

Piper laughed, "God do I."

"I talked to Danny yesterday."

"How is he?" she asked.

"Fine. Better than both of us combined, probably. He was studying for some test, said he'd try and come home for a few days next month or something. He didn't really say anything about your birthday so..."

"Don't worry," she consoled, unfazed by her other brother's absence. "Someone needed to pull our weight in the Chapman Children Crisis, anyway."

"Hell yeah. So how have you been? It's been a while."

She heard rustling, then a contented sigh, like someone had propped their feet on a chair after a long, laborious day. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I've meant to call, but I've been busy. I got a job."

"Yeah? As what?"

"A waitress," she told him.

"Humble beginnings, Pipes. I like it. Have you told Mom?"

"Yeah. You can imagine her overflowing support in the matter."

He laughed, "I'm sure you're drowning in it. Don't worry, she'll get over it. Where do you work?"

"It's just down the bistro around where I live."

A beat of silence passed before he continued, "I don't really know where you live, but I'll take it."

"Has it really been that long?"

"Yep."

"God, that just sounds sad. We have to—"

She cut herself off when her phone buzzed in her ear. Holding it away from her face, she saw her dad's text to call him. An image of her mother basically holding her dad at gunpoint to text that flashed through her head like a vision. God _damn_ it.

"Piper? You okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, sorry. Dad just texted me to call him."

"Probably going to convince you to go. Or, better yet, it's Mom using Dad's phone."

Piper laughed, "I'll call you soon, okay? Love you."

"Love you too, P. See you."

Piper hung up and feeling like a busy phone-woman in a telemarketing, she punched in another number. She breathed a huge sigh of relief when it was picked up and it wasn't her mother.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey, honey." He sounded tired. "How're you?"

"I'm fine. Did Mom tell you to call me?"

He sighed, "Piper, you know your mother."

Yes, she knew her mother. "I don't want to go to the party, Dad."

"If not for her, then go for me. Whether you're going or not, you know she'll run this thing anyway."

Piper sighed heavily. She knew that. She knew that her mother would cook up a lie about her just to save her ass; according to Carol, by tomorrow, Piper would be in Africa or Brazil 'learning the culture and ways to further her knowledge of the world and its people.'

"And I miss you," he continued. "I haven't seen you in a while."

She watched her weekend evaporate in a puff of smoke. "I miss you too. I guess I can drop by."

"Even if it's for a few hours, sweetie."

"Okay. See you soon, then."

"I...I thought you'd like to talk more. Now that the party has been dutifully discussed."

Piper scrambled for an excuse to hang up the phone, "I actually have somewhere to be. We can save the conversations for Saturday, okay?"

"Alright."

"Bye, Dad."

She pushed to call Cal again.

He answered and said immediately, "No, I'm not going."

"Please? Please, please, _please_? It'd be so boring without you. And I'd bring Polly but I'm pretty sure she'd rather neck herself than enter the house. Please?"

Cal groaned. She had the same effect on him as his dad's effect on Piper. It was going to be tiring, he thought, but it was his sister's birthday. He hadn't heard from her for a few weeks, let alone see her. But this could easily be overshadowed by seeing his parents. He hadn't seen them in years and he wanted to continue that streak for as long as he lived.

Taking his silence as hesitation, she plowed on, "Maybe I can get someone from work. Hook you guys up or something. Please, Cal. I don't want to be alone in there."

"Do I have to wear a suit?"

"...Probably."

"Goddamn it."

"I know. I'm sorry. Please?"

She heard a sigh and knew she'd won, "Fine. But don't bring a girl, I'm embarrassing as it is."

"You are not embarrassing," Piper cooed. "You are the loveliest and the most charming man."

He chuckled, "I didn't say that so you can stroke my ego. But by all means, continue."

When they hung up a few moments later, Piper's smile dimmed, suddenly tired and weary. All she just wanted to do was lay down and hibernate for eternity. No amount of sleep will prepare her for next weekend. She chided herself for being talked into it—again. She had never—or at least rarely—successfully steeled herself against her dad. He always knew what to say, she thought as her face plunged to the pillow. Always knew how to pull on her heartstrings like a puppet.

Blindly, she fumbled for her phone. She had one more call to make. And this one wasn't going to be pretty.

* * *

Whistling, Alex walked to her car, thriving off the success of a very productive day. She managed to recruit more girls, got her spreadsheets up to date and got the money for the Bali trip. She just had one more thing to do.

She slid into the driver's seat and fished out her phone, but before she could open it, it rang in her hand.

 _Piper_.

Almost immediately, she felt a grin split her face before she answered. "Hey! I was just about to reserve a table—"

"Alex."

Something in her tone made Alex pause and frown. "Is everything okay?"

She heard a deep inhale, "I can't go out."

Alex felt her smile and stomach drop, "What?"

"I'm not in the mood. I mean—I...I'll take a raincheck, okay? I have to go...be somewhere. I'll...I'll talk to you soon, promise. Real soon."

"Wait, Pipes—"

"Sorry," was all she said before hanging up.

Alex gaped at the silent phone in her hand. What just happened? Piper was the one that wanted the date, and now she was calling it off? What the hell? she fumed, grateful for the rising anger in her. She dealt better with rage than hurt, anyway. Revving up the engine, she backed out of the parking lot and bulleted for home. If she was lucky, she could catch Piper before she left.

That was if she hadn't already.

She nipped past the intersection just before the light turned red. Blares of angry horns sounded behind her, but she didn't care. She swerved left, then right. It wasn't like Piper, she thought, to impulsively ask for plans then cancel them hours later. Then again...

Maybe it was _exactly_ like Piper and Alex just didn't know it.

All the more reason to continue with the date, she argued, nearly colliding with the car in front of her. The date should've been their get-to-know session. It should've been her ticket in knowing whether she really loved her. It would've worked, she thought. Indubitably.

As she turned into her street, she searched the kerb for Piper's car. Her hope sank lower when she couldn't find it, then settled on the ocean floor when she reached her house without finding it.

Here, my ass, she thought.

* * *

"It is not a _happy_ birthday," Piper said.

Polly laughed, lounging on Piper's bed as the blonde struggled to get into the dress Carol had given her. "It's a day for your existence. Of course it's a happy day."

"Not when I'm forced to stand for hours like an idiot saying 'thank you' every five fucking seconds."

"Then sit and say 'thank you'," Polly grinned. "Have you told Alex?"

Piper straightened, forcing a blank expression on her face. She told herself not to feel guilty, not now. Not now, she repeated, when her emotions were all bubbling at the surface. She needed to keep herself together. Just for today. Just for a bit. "Told Alex what?"

"About the party, dummy."

"No."

"How come?"

"We...didn't really talk about today. Haven't talked at all, actually. She doesn't know about June 7th's."

Polly sat up and gaped as Piper moved to tug on her heels. "What do you mean, she doesn't know?"

"Exactly what you said, Pol."

"What kind of a girlfriend doesn't know birthdays?"

"She—well—I—" she stopped and gathered herself. "Not now, Pol. Please."

Polly stayed silent as she eyed her friend. She knew that only Carol can crawl up Piper's ass deep enough to get into the blonde's nerves, and she knew well enough not to prod. Her past experience with Piper's sulkiness had its value.

"Fine," she said, "but you're letting me drive you."

"Cal is coming to pick me up."

"Cal's going?" She knew—vaguely—of Cal Chapman. Weird, silent and disappeared off the face of the Earth whenever he wanted.

"I was no way suffering alone. This is going to be awful, Pol."

"I know, honey." She walked up and hugged the blonde, whose shoulders shook as she fought to maintain stability. "I know."

* * *

It was just as she'd imagined.

Wine, polite conversations, fake smiles. That was all Piper could see as she stood in the corner of her childhood home, sulking in her own glass of wine. She watched as older women faced mirrors, peppering their faces with light powder. She could barely feel her own skin under all the gunk her mother had pushed into her hands. Moisturiser, some weird wrinkle-lotion. Piper knew it was her mother's silent way of saying: _you look like shit._

Then again, she _had_ been feeling shit. Guilt racked her senses when she called Alex. After the call, she rushed out of the house and never made contact with the woman since. She felt awful about the date. She had been so adamant on having it too. She had suggested it, and she was the one to bail. That wasn't fair on Alex, she thought. She told herself to call the brunette after the party to explain. Maybe Alex will forgive her.

She saw Cal hovering by the buffet table, looking adorable in his rumpled, black suit and tie. His hair was combed back, and she could see little hairs just above his upper lip. He took a fry, then two, then a handful before he guiltily slunk away, causing Piper to smile just a little.

"I knew you had a smile in you."

She turned around to see her dad smile next to her. He was looking pretty dressed up as well. His white hair primly quaffed, his suit showed no signs of wrinkles or disarray. Just as he should be, according to Carol Chapman.

She sighed and turned back to face the party. "This could be my funeral," she said, "and people would be just as dull."

Bill had to chuckle, "It's not as bad. Why didn't you bring Polly?"

"Dad, you know how Polly feels around Mom. Mom is literally a walking scrutiniser heaped in a jewelled bag of bones."

"Stop that," he said mildly, with no real seriousness behind it. "She wouldn't be as bad if you stop trying to anger her."

"My entire _existence_ angers her."

"That's not entirely true."

"So why won't she—or you, for that matter—acknowledge that Cal is here? When he hasn't seen either of you in _years_."

"I acknowledged him," he corrected. "I saw him dribbling over the food and some girl. He's with Grandma now, probably talking up a storm about trees and music."

"At least some of us are having fun," she muttered.

"You would be if you try, Piper. You won't let yourself have fun."

Piper drank her whole glass in one gulp. "There's nothing here."

"I'm glad _you're_ here though," Bill said.

"I'm leaving soon."

He nodded, hiding his disappointment. "Alright."

Carol walked up to them, all smiles and flirtations, with a man trailing behind her who looked just as joyful. Piper immediately knew why her mother had come, and why she brought the man with her.

"Piper, this is—"

"Troy," the man cut in. "Troy Berns."

"Appropriate," she commented as she firmly shook his hand, "seeing as your sideburns can practically put Wolverine to shame."

She heard Bill choke on his wine as she smiled winningly at her gaping mother. Carol pushed through the shock. " _Piper_!"

Troy, whose hands flew to his insulted hair, took a big step back. "It's okay," he said, "It's fine. I just...I forgot something. I'll see you later, Carol."

He threw daggers at Piper before briskly walking away.

"Piper," Carol berated. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Doing what you told me to do when I was 5, Mother. Warding away all the people I dislike with words, not violence."

"He was the son of—"

"A bitch," Piper finished and earned a scolding look from both parents. "I don't need a man, Mom."

"Would you rather a woman?" Carol retorted.

Piper snickered. One in particular, yes.

"I want grandkids, Piper. I want to know them. I don't want them to see their grandma as a stone grave. I want to know that my legacy will be passed on properly to bright minds."

Piper could feel her temper rise. Was her whole purpose in life satisfying Carol Chapman's wants? The woman was insufferable, she seethed. Her mother continued to list what she wanted; how she wanted to come to a house with kids, how she wanted to shop for them, give them piano lessons, maybe ballet. If she did have kids, Piper thought, there was no way in hell she would let them grow as she had grown. She opened her mouth to shout, but stopped when Cal sidled next to her.

"How's it going, parents?" He'd seen the ferocity in Piper's eyes and thought it best to step in before she blew off steam in an unconventional manner. Wise decision too, he mused as he all but felt the raging heat radiating off Piper's body.

"Cal." Obviously surprised, Carol blinked at her son. "When did you get here?"

"Piper and I came together, Mom."

"You did?"

"We did."

"Well—"

"And now, I'm leaving," Piper announced, pushing her glass to her mother. She turned to Bill, "I'll call you soon."

She pushed past Carol's shocked expression, through the crowd of dimwits and out the door. Finally, she thought. Like a woman escaping prison, she inhaled deeply, basking in the smell of fresh air.

"You'd think you were suffocating in there."

Piper let out a breathless laugh as Cal walked to her side, "I was."

"I saw them cornering you so I thought I'd step in. You were becoming Hulky Piper."

"I think I'd rather be Elphaba than Hulk. Her shade of green looks better."

Cal laughed, shaking his head. "Whatever you say. Want to head home?"

Piper was about to accept, but thought of something different. It was her birthday. She deserved to at least have some fun. "No," she told him. "I have to do something. I'll get my own ride. I'll call you, okay?"

"Okay," he said, hugging his sister. "See you."

Piper pulled out her phone, her thumb hovering over the name she wanted to call. Pushing through the hesitation, she forced herself to push the name. The call was picked up almost immediately.

"Alex," she breathed. "You answered."

"I've never been left on a date before. So I figured you finally manned up to call me."

Piper sighed, "I'm sorry. I'll explain everything. I promise. Can...can you pick me up?"

"Where?"

She felt tears well up in her eyes. No questions asked, she thought. She told Alex the address, "I'll be outside."

"Alright. I'll be there in 15."

Piper smiled, wiping the tears away. She wasn't as above this as she thought she was. "Okay."


	10. Chapter 10: You Cooked For Me

As she rolled down the street, Alex saw Piper standing on the sidewalk, just under a street lamp. She had an absurd thought that it was like a spotlight glowing down on the blonde, made specifically for Alex to see. She stopped in front of her, setting the car on park. Reaching over, she opened the door to let Piper in.

Piper ducked and settled herself on the passenger seat. Her confidence began to waver as she stared straight ahead, feeling ashamed to even look at Alex. She deserted her because she was weak. She couldn't force herself to pretend. But was that so bad? she thought suddenly. Alex deserved raw, real emotions. She deserved everything she wouldn't have been able to give. She couldn't have fed her fake smiles and fake laughs. That wouldn't have been fair for either of them.

"A date for your thoughts?"

Piper finally looked up at Alex, who somehow looked even more ravishing than she remembered. Her tilted smile was there, and it did wonders to Piper's heart. "You choose the place," she answered.

Alex nodded, turning to face the front and drove. "I'll quickly go home and change then. Why were you in this area?"

Piper looked out the window, "It's where I used to live."

"Now, how could a college girl cleaning tables afford a mansion?"

"My parents."

Alex was getting irritated with the truncated responses. "Trust fund?"

"No," Piper told her. "Childhood home."

Alex frowned. She'd never mention her family before. "So why were you here? And why the fancy dress?"

"I'll tell you everything later. Please," Piper pleaded as she looked at Alex. "Please. I promise I'll tell you everything."

What hurt you? Alex thought as she kept her mouth shut, keeping her eyes on the dimly lit road. She adjusted her glasses, and felt Piper shift. Stopping at a red light, she turned her head to see Piper's head against the window, her eyes closed. She looked exhausted, Alex observed. Her hair fought valiantly to stay in place, but still frayed near the ends. She wanted to thread her fingers through it, wanted to offer her the comfort she knew she needed.

As she drove past a bistro and saw the sidewalk lined with people, she realised that most restaurants—the good ones—would also have a waiting line. It wouldn't be worth it, she thought. Her mind immediately went to her fridge and figured she could cook adequately enough for two. She changed lanes and turned left towards the grocery store.

As Piper felt the car's vibration stopped, she opened her eyes. Her headache finally came, a gnawing feeling. She frowned when she realised she wasn't at Alex's home. "Shopping? Are we going shopping?"

"I just have to get a few things," Alex said as she unbuckled. "You can just keep resting. I'll be right back."

Piper yawned and settled back down, "'Kay."

Alex jogged to the entrance, grabbed a trolley and made a beeline for the seasoning aisle. She wasn't exactly Gordon Ramsey, but she knew what she wanted. Picking off bottles of rosemary and parsley, she found a comfortable feeling in shopping. She remembered the few times she and Diane went to the store, but could only afford a basketful of goods. Alex never minded since it forced her to be picky and resourceful. What they lacked in quantity, they made up for in high quality results.

She continued down the aisle, grabbing a little something here and there. The pile in her trolley grew as she made her way through the store. She wondered if Piper had any allergies—she hoped not. She wanted to _impress_ the woman, not hospitalise her. Humming contently to herself, she was about to turn another corner when she heard her name be yelled rather unattractively.

" _Alex_!"

She turned and saw Sylvie near the vegetables section, with a basket hanging on her arm. She noticed she had dyed her hair a lighter colour. She wore lace, and decided her whole appearance made her look even trashier than before. If that was possible, she mused. She smiled politely as the other woman strode toward her, fire in every step, hands curled into tight fists. She could practically see the flames in her eyes and nearly laughed out loud.

Sylvie stopped when they were toe to toe. She fought to keep her shaking hands at her sides. She never thought she'd see Alex again—or at least, not this soon. Instead of punching the tall woman, as menacingly as she could, she looked up and yelled, "Why the fuck are you here?"

Alex gestured to the trolley, "Grocery shopping."

"What the fuck? You never shop. You—"

"I have no time for you," Alex deadpanned and turned to walk away. She would've been disappointed if Sylvie didn't retaliate.

"You _bitch_. Get back here, you owe me at least—"

"I don't owe you anything," she said casually, pushing the trolley towards the meat section. She noticed people turning their way.

"You do! You fucking—"

"Sylvie, indoor voices, please. There are kids and old people around."

" _Fuck_ you. Why—"

"Can I have those lamb chops please?" When she reached the counter, Alex pointed to what she wanted as the butcher looked on with peaking interest. "A few pounds should do it. Maybe 6 pieces? Thanks." She kept her laughing eyes on the butcher, who looked back at her in obvious amusement.

"Alex, I am _talking_ to you."

Still looking forward, she replied, " _I'm_ not talking to you."

"You fucking—"

"Stop." Finally, Alex turned to face her. The silent treatment was too much effort, and she wanted to leave as fast as she could. She lifted her glasses to the top of her head. She figured the woman would leave faster if she asked. "What do you want?"

"I—you—we broke _up_."

"What do you _want_?" she repeated.

Sylvie made a frustrated sound, "I don't know! I wanted you back, but now I don't. And—"

"Then that solves it. You can leave now."

"It does not! You've clearly been following me. Keeping tabs on me. I've seen Aydin around."

"Please," Alex scoffed. "I wouldn't waste his time with you. And don't flatter yourself. You were never that special."

"I've seen him around my house, Alex."

She sighed as she faced towards the counter. "Sylvie, you've met Kubra."

"So?"

"You know of his methods," Alex said quietly. "You know how he deals with loose ends."

Sylvie visibly paled, "Is he going to _kill_ me?"

"Nah. Probably just keeping an eye on you if you decide to open your mouth. Which opens quite often, so I don't blame him for taking precautions. But if I were you? Hide out for a few days. Keep out of trouble. Keep your life while you're at it."

"Maybe start now," Alex finished.

Sylvie bolted away from the woman like a hot fire. Alex chuckled and reached forward as her lamb chops were handed over.

"That nearly looked like a scene from The Notebook," the butcher commented.

"What can I say?" she laughed, reaching over to take the meat bags. "I'm a romantic."

* * *

"What got you into drug-dealing?"

Alex quirked an eyebrow as she sipped her beer. "You've met Fahri."

"Yeah," Piper said as she chewed on a carrot, "but I feel like you're the type of person who wouldn't get bullied into a drug cartel."

"True," Alex admitted. "I had my fair share of bullying when I was a kid, but that's another story."

"Okay."

"I met Fahri when I was looking for my father. He and Mom just kind of...made me, and I never really got to know him before he left. He was a rockstar, so he travelled a lot. And one day I thought, hey, since Mom and I are struggling so much, maybe my _dad_ can help. So, I looked for him, turned out he was a junkie that lived in the past. He was an asshole," she muttered.

Piper caught the venom that laced the insult. "How so?"

She chuckled, "He said my _rack_ looked awesome."

Piper made a disgusted face, "Seriously? That's fucking gross."

"Yeah. So I went to the bathroom to recoup. But when I went out, Fahri was there. He offered a bump, I said no. Then he said that they—they meaning my dad and some other assholes—were his clients. After that, he just showed me around. Introduced me to some of his friends, taught me about the business."

"And Kubra?"

Alex shook her head, "Not really. He didn't introduce me to the big boss until it was certain that I was in the drug ring."

"How does that work? Do you, like, sign a contract?"

"Of sorts. Obviously, you can't take these types of work agreements to court. So instead of a judge, he hired a henchman."

Piper raised her eyebrows, "An _assassin_? Jesus, Alex, you contracted your _life_."

Alex shrugged it off, "Yeah, well. I had nothing going on at the time. I was working at some clothing store with my mom. It paid the bills, but..."

She scoffed, "I hated that place."

"Does your mom know about...?"

"Somewhat. I didn't really tell her, but she's smart. She never asked how I got the money to buy her a million-dollar house, or the car. To be honest, I think she thinks I'm whoring myself out," she paused. "You should meet her."

"Your mother?"

"No. My fairy tale godmother."

Piper blushed, "Sorry. I mean, yeah. I don't see why not. She sounds lovely. I mean, I—"

Alex had to laugh at the nervousness, feeling her heart slip further. She found it cute t that Piper fumbled over meeting her mother. It showed she cared. "Doesn't have to be anytime soon," she said. "Plus, she was the one who taught me how to cook. And she said to only cook for the 'special ones'."

"I'm special. You cooked for me."

Alex forked in a piece of lamb into her mouth, "Yep. How was it?"

She didn't need an answer when Piper's plate was all but licked clean. Piper threw her head back and laughed, the sound sending shivers down her spine. She loved the blonde's laugh; it was always rich and true. When she laughed, her eyes laughed along with her. It was something she had always found endearing.

"It was amazing," Piper was saying as she nibbled on a pasta. Alex had put out all the stops on the dinner while she had rested. Her mother had taken a much larger toll on her than she initially thought, but she was grateful that Alex let her nap on the couch as the smell of beautifully cooked lamb wafted through the house.

"It's much better than the food at the party."

"The party?"

"Yeah. That was why I was in that area of snobs."

Alex set down her fork. "Tell me," she said simply.

Piper breathed in and set down her own utensils. Now or never, she thought. "It's my birthday."

Alex was thankful she wasn't drinking anything. She might have spat it out. "What? You never told me that."

"Yeah, no. I didn't. I don't celebrate it. Well, I do but I don't like celebrating it because of my mother."

"Your mother?"

She pushed around an olive, "Yeah. She always threw me a big birthday party, and it's usually my dad that would talk me into going. If I had it my way, I wouldn't even be talking to either of my parents. But no, my mother would have the government on my ass if I cut them off."

"She's...controlling," she went on. "She'll do anything to boost her status. She used today to catch up with her friends and spent a total of ten minutes with me, two of which included introducing me to some guy that was probably the son of a Noble Prize winner."

Alex watched silently as Piper's eyes went glassy. She wanted to reach out, but she was afraid she'd interrupt. Her stomach turned as the blonde continued.

"She'll treat anyone like a poodle," Piper stood and paced around the room before continuing, oblivious to the tears. "She'll just use you and show you off until you're no longer shiny. Then she'll just throw you under a rug until you _magically_ get shiny again then she'll show you off like _she_ was the cause of it. The cycle just repeats and repeats and repeats until you're so broken and dull that you just _choose_ not to be shiny so she doesn't take you out again. And I hate that!"

Alex's strong arms were around her in an instant as sobs wracked her body. "I hate being shown off! I hate that everything I'll ever do will always get back to _her_. I can't own or do anything without her criticising me behind my back or right in front of my fucking _face_."

Piper was unaware that she clung to Alex, her nails probably digging for blood. She felt her tears stain her lover's shirt, and a hand rubbing comforting circles on her back. Alex had said nothing, she thought, but she already felt more at ease, more at home, in her arms than anywhere else.

Alex had handled crying women before, but none of them prepared her for the tidal waves of emotions that hit her as Piper cried on her shoulder. Her hands stroked her hair, her back. She wanted to help, but she didn't know how else _to_ help, and the inadequacy was pissing her off more than it should.

Was this really love? Alex thought.

Together, they eased back. She saw the continuous flow of tears and felt her heart wrench in her chest. Unwillingly, her eyes drifted down to Piper's lips.

Then their mouths latched on to each other. Alex wanted to be gentle, to comfort and soothe while her hands continued to rub her lover's back. But Piper's arms lifted, wrapped around her neck, and pressed their bodies together, deepening the kiss. She felt herself go under.

Take me away, Piper thought as their tongues met. Don't let me think of her. Don't let me think of anything. Just take me. She wanted to feel everything Alex could show her. Her want made her tremble with need as her fingers found their way under her lover's shirt. She pulled it up and over as she latched on to her neck.

"Wait, Piper—"

"Shh," she put her fingers on Alex's lips to stop the protest. "Just let me. Okay?"

"But—"

"Please," she pleaded as she planted a soft kiss on Alex's chin. "Please. Let me."

Alex clenched her jaw. She couldn't possibly say no when the woman was looking at her with those eyes that looked so pleading and pained. Damn it, Chapman. "Okay."

Piper took her hand and silently lead them into the bedroom. She noticed the new curtains, the new sheets before turning around to face Alex again. She was thankful for the soundboard, and she wanted to show her gratitude in a way she rarely got to. As she unbuttoned her lover's jeans, she lowered, planting soft kisses on her stomach, her waist, her thighs and smiled when she felt Alex's muscles quiver beneath her lips.

"Piper—"

"Shh."

She kissed her way back up, basking in the power she had over the brunette. She was still wearing her clothes and Alex sought to fix that. She helped, and they were soon standing in just their underwear. Piper reached forward and slid off Alex's glasses as they smiled at each other.

"This looks like that scene from The Notebook," Alex said. The obsessive parents included, she added silently.

"Too bad you don't have a broken mansion."

Their lips met again as they eased onto the bed. Alex knew that it was Piper's night. She'd given her the reigns, and she was just here for the ride. She felt the blonde making her way down her body. Sighs and murmurs, slow caresses. The seduction was brutal to the senses, but she forced herself to suffer through it. For her.

Piper kissed her way down to the shallow, seductive valley between Alex's thighs and her center. She could already smell the brunette's arousal and felt her own need, hard and strong, rise to the occasion. Her hand slid between her lover's thighs and pressed there against the wet heat. Piper's fingers played over Alex, in Alex, as her own breath quickened.

She looked up in triumph as Alex moaned, watched as the brunette climbed closer and closer to the edge. She ducked her head in between her legs as Alex released her breath in a strangled cry. Piper relished in her taste and wanted gulp after gulp.

"One more," she demanded as her tongue did its work.

Alex gripped the headboard as pleasure overwhelmed her senses. The room began to spin, the delicious dizziness leaving her unspeakably aroused. She was gasping for air, her eyes opaque as her head fell back. Her hands had gripped the blonde's hair as she was guided to another peak. Stars exploded, raspy voices murmuring promises and soothing words as she came for the second time.

This was love, she thought. It had to be.

* * *

As the moonlight illuminated the room, Piper watched as Alex's chest rose and fell, her breathing heavy with sleep. She listened, Piper thought. The woman didn't do anything but listen, and yet her own ears were ringing. Without interruption, she basically told Alex her boring, sad life story. She expected sympathy, maybe a hint of rage.

But she didn't expect acceptance.

That, she thought as she burrowed closer, threw her off more than she cared to admit.

"I can hear you thinking."

Piper jolted as Alex spoke, "Sorry. I thought you were asleep."

"I was." Alex blinked her eyes opened and secured her arm around Piper's waist. "What is it?"

"Why did you choose me?" Piper asked suddenly. "You could've had other girls, but you chose me."

Alex said nothing for a moment. The woman was a dizzying experience. A few hours ago she moved like a sex god, and now she was asking diabolical questions she didn't have the answers to. It was a complicated dance, and she wanted to learn it.

"I guess it was magnetic," Alex said carefully. "It was something I've never felt. Initially, I thought it was my...recruiter senses tingling."

"You were going to recruit me?"

"That thought came and went in the space of five seconds. I wanted you. That was it."

Piper smiled, "Now you have me."

She stayed silent for a moment before continuing. "And I want to keep you, Pipes."

"You will. I'm sorry I broke my promise before."

"I'll just hold it over your head the next time I break a promise," Alex grinned.

Piper laughed giddily and pressed her lips on Alex's, "Okay."

* * *

After another morning round of hot, sweaty sex, Alex slid on a plain black shirt before tossing Piper a random shirt for her to borrow.

"I have to tell you something."

Catching the serious tone, Alex looked at her quizzically before sliding back into the bed.

Piper fiddled with the bedsheets. "Sylvie... _contacted_ me, the day you called about the party."

Alex swivelled her head, "What did she say?"

"Well," Piper looked at anywhere but Alex. "She...didn't say anything per se. She left a clear message of 'fuck you for stealing my girlfriend'."

"What did she do?"

"She...left a bag of poop."

Alex blinked once. "What?"

"She pooped in a bag and left it in front of my door," Piper explained in a brisk manner. "It was very prompt, very straightforward. I _got_ what she was saying and I respect it."

"You panicked."

"I didn't panic," Piper corrected. "I was stressed out because what if she did it again and again and —"

"A person can only shit so much for a prank."

" _See_? See, that's what Polly said too! But what if it wasn't? Do you think she's gonna murder me? Just...how unstable is this Sylvia person?

She didn't expect Alex to laugh out loud. "It was a joke."

Defiance speared through. "It was not a joke! It was a very clear message. 'I know what you did, bitch, and I want you to know that I know.'"

Alex, who had put on her glasses to check the time, turned to face Piper. "Look," she began. "Being with you was my choice."

She stretched her sleeping limbs before continuing, "I wasn't happy."

Piper muttered, "And then I took advantage of that."

Alex had to laugh as she slid off her glasses. "I'm a grown-up, Piper."

"Do you think she's gonna come after me?" Piper worried.

Alex placed her glasses on the nightstand before continuing, "Look, I think she just needed to get it out of her system. Alright? Sometimes...you gotta rage in order to move on.

Piper just had to ask. She needed to, or it would've driven her insane not knowing. "Did you love her?"

"No."

Alex looked up at her. That question was a no-brainer. All she had to do was think of their uncalled fights, the regular, tiring arguments that happened before every trip. She only had to think of Piper, and she knew her answer. But the _implied_ question did not go unnoticed. She wanted to lay her cards on the table, despite there being a possibility she'll suffer through rejection—or worse, pity. But then she remembered what her mom had said.

 _Take the leap, Alex_.

So she did. "But I love you."

The leap was so easy, the landing so smooth. Her heart turned in her chest when Piper smiled before laying down beside her. "You do?"

She chuckled as the two women faced each other. Her fingers reached out to tuck a stray hair behind Piper's ear. "I don't say that to everyone," she said.

Piper's own heart swelled at the admission. It's happening, she thought. It's really happening.

"You have to say it back."

She knew that by complying, she'll be giving herself over too. But her mind and heart were already racing ahead of her, past the finish line and well into the long run. She didn't want to, but she thought of her parents. How _they_ would react to this. No, she decided. She wouldn't tell them. She wouldn't let them ruin this. She only needed Alex.

"I love you, too."


	11. Chapter 11: Cat Got Your Tongue?

"Pipes."

Piper surfaced groggily, a protest at the tip of her tongue. She swallowed it back when she caught sight of Alex sitting upright on the bed, her hair all kinds of rumpled and sexy. A book in hand, she looked like Piper's personal Belle with glasses. The brunette was looking at her, an easy smile crossing her face. Beautiful, Piper thought, and all mine.

"Pipes, it's six," Alex nudged her with a soft hand. "You told me to wake you up for your run."

Piper sighed and turned her head away. She had work today, damn it. She didn't want to leave Alex's side. All she wanted to do was burrow herself in everything Alex Vause. Her bed, her pillow, her hair. But I guess this was the baby steps she had to take in preparation for the Bali trip, she mused.

A whole week without Alex sounded unbearable. Sluggishly, she pulled her legs out of the covers and onto the wooden floor. They had yet to talk about it, and both parties silently agreed on leaving it until the last minute. They both knew that Alex asking to cancel the trip would be useless, and Piper throwing a fit about it would do little to nothing. All they could really do was make the most of what time they had left together.

It wasn't like someone was dying, for Christ's sake.

Alex watched with a smile as Piper shuffled her way to the bathroom. Did she know how adorable she looked? she wondered. Could she possibly know? Setting down her book, she adjusted her glasses as she reached for her phone. She didn't have anything—

 _Fahri: Final briefing for Bali at lunch. Usual time and place._

 _Damn_ it, she seethed. She wanted to spend more time with Piper today. Not that they needed it; the week after their declarations of love was filled with nothing but Alex and Piper. For the first time, she actually _dreaded_ work. Then again, she mused, Piper was her first on multiple accounts.

"Alex, do you remember that theory we tested?"

Alex looked up at the blonde, who was leaning on the doorway to the bathroom, "What?"

"The calories theory."

Alex chuckled, "Yeah?"

Piper sauntered over, keeping her eyes on Alex, "You know, if I remember correctly, a friend of mine told me that a theory must be repeated and proven several times to increase its reliability."

Alex slid off her glasses as a smirk began to appear. She figured that not many people would have girlfriends that matched their own libido and counted herself lucky, "Wouldn't want to have unreliable results," she said.

Piper pulled off her shirt. "Absolutely."

She straddled Alex, leaned forward and ravaged her girlfriend until both of them slipped back to sleep.

* * *

"Hey," she was saying, "I'm really sorry, but I have work—"

"No, no. It's fine. I have work today too."

It felt almost awkward for both women as they gathered up their clothes from the floor. It was a few hours after they first woke up, and both needed to head to work. Piper flushed, Alex cursed as they bumped heads when they reached for the same stray shirt.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Pipes." Alex reached out to stop the woman from scurrying off. "Come on. Don't make this weird."

"I'm not," the blonde said defensively.

Alex simply raised an eyebrow.

"Okay," Piper sighed. "I just wanted to be with you as much as I could before you leave for Bali. But _life_ comes into play, and it's not letting me do what I want."

"I'll be back before you know it," Alex smiled reassuringly. "It's just a week."

"Just a week," Piper repeated, more for self-reassurance than anything.

* * *

"How is Piper?"

Alex looked up. "Fine," she said carefully.

"What did you tell her?"

She decided she didn't want to eat the brownie. "Not much. She's fine with it."

Testy, Fahri thought. He nearly smiled; Alex had never been so protective and closed about a topic before. It was almost amusing to watch her leap forward with a sword and a shield. He would've continued poking at her, but he was here for business reasons.

"We need you in Bali for a month," he began, looking down at his phone. "There was a...miscommunication. We decided to put you in Bali until this deal goes through. We could delay your trip, but Kubra has other things he wanted you to deal with. He'll email you the details. The goods are still in the Philippines, but they should've been shipped off _weeks_ ago. But don't worry, I'll handle the incompetence there. All you need to do is increase your luggage tenfold."

Alex, whose ears stopped working after the first sentence, blinked rapidly. She didn't even know her hands had curled into tight fists. "What? _What_? A month?! Fahri, wh—no fucking way Kubra authorised this."

"You think I'm lying?"

"I think this is pretty fucking stupid," she spat.

"Nobody cares about what you think, Vause," Fahri matched her tone with the same venom. "Just do the job."

The _job_ is a bundle of bullshit, she seethed when Fahri left the cafe. She promised Piper. Damn it, how was this going to work now? She was becoming aware of the curious eyes that turned their way and pushed off the table. With blood in her eye, she stomped to the exit, eager to get run over by a speeding taxi.

"Miss? You still have to pay."

Alex swivelled around, sheer shock reverberating through her body. She was going to pay for the lunch, too? Her mouth gaping, she saw a quivering teenager that held her tray in front of her like a shield. Rashly, Alex shoved thirty bucks in the waitress' hands.

"That should cover it," she said. "Keep the change. Tip or whatever."

She shouldered her way out and let out one satisfying stream of curses that would've made a sailor weep in his shoes.

"Hey, Vause."

She looked up to see Fahri in a car, his window rolled down. There was little she wouldn't give to wipe that smug, patronising smile off his fucking face. He was wearing sunglasses now, but she knew that they sparkled with a boyish delight, as she knew how facetious he could be when it came to her and the business.

"Don't make her cry too much, okay?"

She flipped up her middle finger and turned away. She shoved her hands in her pockets and strode to her car. How was she going to break this to Piper? The woman was already counting down the seconds until she was back, and she hadn't even _left_ yet.

The hustle and bustle of the city always made her feel small, like an insignificant ant in a colony. The smoke that came and went, the smell of old cigarettes littering the sidewalk, the loud cry of the baby in the stroller—he just wanted the tablet!—and the pounding of feet on hard cement. Her head down, Alex was walking almost blindly when she bumped into a rigid shoulder.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Fuck off," she hissed and kept walking.

Damn it. Damn this place. _Fuck_ you, Fahri.

* * *

"I have a mind to whack you senseless, you tasteless, brainless, screw up of a toad. A fine rock you have for a brain. Lord knows why you have a skull that protects nothing but air. A waste of God's time if you ask me."

Piper listened cheerfully to Rosaleen, a quick Irish tongue, spit creative and vulgar insults at her brother, Eoghan, who manned the pots and the knives. The man rolled his eyes as he continued to knead the meat he'd yet to marinate.

"Don't you roll your—"

"Oh, shut it, Rosaleen." His voice hinted of rolling hills of green and butterflies. "I'll right your stew in a minute."

"Damn right you will! Man's got a brain of a pea," she muttered as she shoved her door open. It closed with a crack of a bullet, the blinds rattling in their place.

Piper kept an easy smile on her face as she stood near the bar, her station relatively empty of customers. The bistro was calming down off its dinner rush, and was a few minutes away from closing time. The banging and shouting in the kitchen lowered, the incessant chatter floated around the room like small specks of dusts. Her nose was filled of the different wine and cocktails that Carrick expertly concocted.

The man glanced her way as he wiped off the counter, "New here?"

Piper nodded, "Started a few weeks ago. I'm Piper. You were on vacation when I came."

"Aye, that I was. Was on a peaceful cruise across the Carribean. It's sorry I am about those two," he said, indicating to the kitchen. "Our Rosaleen has herself a tongue of a sailor's babe."

Piper smiled at the sweet Irish accent that flowed richly through his words. "It's totally fine. I've witnessed it before, but she seemed pretty mad today."

Carrick chuckled, reaching for his rag and an empty beer glass, "Eoghan has only to breathe to anger Rosaleen. They've bickered in the womb, our mother said."

Shr raised her eyebrows, "They're your siblings?"

"Fortunately, I wasn't with them in the womb. I was a couple years earlier."

Piper could appreciate the way the bistro operated. The kitchen was handled by Eoghan, the big brute with soft, gentle hands as he prepared an evening's meal. Staff were controlled by the witty Rosaleen, a woman of great hair and smile. The bar itself was ran by Carrick, big and burly like his brother. They were an epitome of a perfect trifecta, she mused. And it was extraordinary to see a successful bistro ran by three siblings.

It made her wish her own family lived just as close.

"I've saddened you," Carrick said.

"No," Piper turned as she reassured. "I was just thinking how lucky you guys are. You three being close and all."

Carrick moved over and leaned forward, shifting some of his weight on her forearms as he talked. "It's a family business. Gives a solid income. As long as we run it our way, then it'll continue to be as it is: flourishing. Passed on to us, this place was. Pa told us he wanted this place to work, as our Ma, bless her soul, passed away the year after they bought the property."

"I'm sorry," Piper said sincerely.

Carrick nodded, "Thank you, Piper. It was hard on all of us, but we wanted to make Pa happy. If you and I are to be friends, you'll get more of my life story, by and by. What about you? What's your tale?"

She flushed, since his tone went several knots deeper, "Well—"

"I can do that for you."

Her eyes bulged when she saw Alex approach them. She had a wicked smile, and licks of fire roared in her eyes as she stared down Carrick. Who, to his credit, didn't lose his smile.

"She graduated from Smith College," Alex continued as she leaned on the counter with a hand set on her hip. Her eyes on Piper's held steady, unwavering. "Her birthday is on June 7. She's read nearly all of the books I had on my bookshelf. She likes to eat...gross, healthy things. She likes to run. She prefers wine over beer. She probably played baseball when she was younger. She's a _goddess_ in bed. She has this smile on her face when she comes, and you just feel so happy that _you_ put that on her face. Because you _love_ her."

Piper gaped as Alex kept talking. Her heart did somersaults in her chest. If she didn't love the woman already, this would've been the game changer. Her juices flowed strong, and she had to cross her legs to stop herself from just pulling Alex to the nearest bathroom.

"Oh, and she's my girlfriend." Alex shot a microphone-dropping smile at Carrick, who began to sweat bullets.

"Well," he cleared his throat. "I best be off." He nodded briskly, gathered his rag and went to stand on the opposite side of the bar.

Alex turned back to Piper and smiled confidently, "Hey."

She didn't trust her voice to be steady enough so she swallowed. Hard.

"Cat got your tongue?" Alex moved closer until their knees brushed together.

 _You_ have my tongue, Piper thought.

"When do you end?" Alex murmured, her voice laced with pumping, sexual desire.

Piper's eyes darted to the clock on the wall. Just after 10. "Now."

* * *

Since she was planning on breaking land speed records, Piper berated herself to slow down. She gripped the wheel, her knuckles turning white. She didn't dare look to her right, because she knew, she _sensed_ , that Alex was doing all she can to make her drool in her seat.

"You're risking lives here."

Alex chuckled lowly, "Will it help to tell you that I want to fuck you against the door? The wall? Going to fucking baptise every room with your—"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up."

Alex laughed again and leaned back, arching her body against the car seat. She loved knowing her effect on Piper. It made her feel powerful, and in control. She let her hand roam up, to her breast, to her hair. She could feel Piper shivering, desperate to keep it together until they reached Alex's place. She was surprised the blonde didn't need directions on how to get there, but didn't question it.

Must be a love thing, she mused.

Piper whipped the car off the main road, and silently thanked Alex for a driveway. She parked, hit the release button for her seatbelt as she hit the brakes, pulling Alex towards her. She ravished her mouth, that devil's mouth, and ensured her lover was left breathless.

Good, she thought as she heard Alex breathing heavily. Now we're even.

They shoved out of opposite sides of the car and bolted for each other. Desperate moans, clothes rustling sounded in the darkness of the night. They circled up the walk like a pair of mad dancers, not caring if they had an audience. Hands moulded breasts, breaths mingled. When they reached the door, Alex took control of the dance steps, and shoved Piper against it. Their mouths battled, but tonight, Piper knew she was outmuscled.

"Hurry," she whispered frantically.

She bit Alex's lip, eliciting a moan. Her nails scraped flesh as she dragged the brunette's shirt up and over. She fumbled for the doorknob. As they lurched inside, she had a small feeling of deja vu as she was pushed against the door again, closing it shut.

Alex stormed Piper's insides with her hands, her mouth. Before tonight, she'd never felt the feeling of protectiveness. She never had anything overly important _to_ protect. But when she saw the bartender brushing against her Piper, her system—almost instinctively—went berserk. It scared her.

So she drowned her fears in the only way she knew how: sex, sex and more sex.

* * *

"Softball."

Alex turned in the dark, wrapping her arm around her lover's waist. She burrowed her nose into the blonde's hair and breathed in her scent. "Hmm?"

"I played softball. Not baseball"

"Should've known you went for the sissy sports."

"Softball is not sissy. It's strategic and less violent. Somewhat. And I was an excellent pitcher."

The brunette chuckled, "You don't have to tell me that. I was on the receiving end."

"Oh, right." Piper remembered her tantrum during the party. "Sorry."

Alex chuckled again, knowing that they were thinking of totally different things.

"Who was the guy at the bar?" she asked.

"Carrick."

"Oh, you guys are on a first name basis, huh?"

"I just met him," Piper answered testily. "He runs the bar. Actually, he and his siblings run the whole thing."

"A family business?"

"Mm-hmm. Eoghan—that's spelt weirdly—deals with the kitchen. He makes this really amazing stew. Then there's the staff manager, Rosaleen. She's the one who hired me, so I know her more than the other two. They did good with the place. Feels very...homey and Irish."

"Those are very Irish names."

Piper made a sound of agreement as exhaustion began to set in.

"I'm sorry I intimidated Carrick. I just got..."

"Jealous?" Piper offered.

"Protective," Alex corrected, making her lover laugh.

The moon looked down on them from the sky, its light dimly spreading across the bed. The whirring of the fridge sounded distantly from the kitchen, lulling both women to sleep. The smell from last night's dinner lingered, since the plates have yet to be washed.

"I love you," Piper murmured, heavy with sleep.

Alex's love blossomed in her heart. She gathered Piper closer to her body, "I love you, too."

* * *

 _Oh. Mmm._

Piper stepped into the shower, the water warmed just right. She faced the shower and let her face be pelted. There was something relaxing about getting cleaned, like the water had the magic ability to wash away any worries, even just for a moment. She reached down, more than happy to have Alex's scent on her own body.

 _I know a place._

With the combination of pounding water and blaring music filling her ears, Alex decided to join her lover in the shower. She stripped herself of clothing and slowly tiptoed to the bathroom. Steam floated around the room and fogged the mirrors. She saw Piper's back, the long curve of it. The woman moved slowly, Alex thought, like an elegant dancer that used the water as her prop.

 _Ain't nobody cryin'._

Piper felt the shower curtain move, and smiled. She counted on this. She kept her eyes closed as she felt Alex's hand on her shoulder and leaned into the kiss when it came. So warm, she thought, so soft. The kiss deepened, but it wasn't a race this time. It was a long, slow stroll to pleasure, and she loved the pace. Heat flushed her body when she felt Alex's breasts pressed against hers. So good.

 _Ain't nobody worried. Ain't no smiling faces._

Alex's hands travelled down and moulded Piper's breasts in her palms. She wanted to taste her, but her control strained on the reigns, and she wanted things to go slow. She knew time was running out for both of them. She backed Piper against the cold, shower wall. She heard a gasp, and she swallowed it with another searing kiss. If the water had been cold, the heat between them would've been enough to create steam. Eagerly, she pushed back the gnawing feeling of impending despair.

 _Lying to the races._

* * *

A/N: Heyooo! Hope you guys enjoyed the last few chapters, because I had a really good time writing them. Also, I hope you guys don't mind, but I've decided to insert in minor, original characters. Tell me what you think of them! They won't change the plot of the whole Vauseman relationship by any means, and they won't show up in major abundance, but I figured if I want to flesh out their characters, it can't always revolve around the same people like Polly, the parents, Sylvie, etc.

You feel?

It also gives me a chance to shout out some of the readers that constantly leave reviews; such as using their name in some other minor characters (if possible). AND, we're nearing the one year travel period of their relationship, so wooo! I'll talk to you guys about that when we get to it. Also, how does the new summary look? Betterrrrriiiishh? Anyways, for now, thanks again for reading, for the reviews, favourites and follows! (internal screaming bc happiness) Hope to see you in a few chapters!

Anon: Thank you for reading! And yeah, I hope to do more of their relationship development as long as it doesn't sound too filler. xD

izzielg: Hey you again! I really appreciate all of the reviews you've given, and I hooope to fit your name in one of minor characters here and there. Thanks for being an avid reader! :)

turchina: That's a huge compliment! Thank you heaps for reading.

Librarybook: Another one of the best readers ever! And don't worry, Sylvie won't be showing for a loooong while. Thank you so much for reviewing and reading, and I hope I continue to develop your favourite characters :) Speaking of, who would _you_ like to see more often?

Siaava: I hope June 7 was worth the (looong) wait! Thanks for reading :)

OITNBReader: I looooove anything Wicked, so I just had to reference it when my fingers started typing about the Hulk. Glad you loved it :D

RJVause: Thank you so much! I hope you continue enjoying the story :) And hopefully the chapters will continue long enough to fulfil you and everyone until season 4, lmao

Neptune: Thank you so much for reading! Hope it continues to be worth the wait ^.^

castlefic: Glad you liked it! Really appreciate the review, and thanks for reading :)

melroihag: Hope it was worth the wait! Thanks for the enthusiasm ^.^

Flor: Sorry for the long-ish wait. I wanted to flesh it out as much as possible :p Hope it was worth it!

Guests: Hey you not-so-silent readers! I appreciate each and every one of you :) Thank you so much for reading, and I hope the wait-s are always worth it. Don't forget to put a smol name so I can address you guys individually!


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